


Renaissance Romance

by GaryF_ckingOak



Category: Fairy Tail
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Smut, Gajevy - Freeform, Gale - Freeform, Modern AU, Renaissance Fair, Slow Burn, Smut
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-09
Updated: 2021-02-21
Packaged: 2021-03-07 03:08:45
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 23
Words: 40,268
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26380111
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GaryF_ckingOak/pseuds/GaryF_ckingOak
Summary: Gajeel Redfox worked at the blacksmith booth of the Renaissance fair. Every lunch break he went and got a beer, on the house of course. Today however, there's a new girl working at the booth, who catches Gajeel's attention in more ways than one. The girl in question is Levy McGarden, who finds the large, gruff man interesting rather than frightening. What follows is a tale as old as time.
Relationships: Levy McGarden/Gajeel Redfox
Comments: 45
Kudos: 130





	1. Chapter 1

Gajeel leaned on the wooden counter, watching people stroll by. It’s not like he had anything else to do at the moment, though there was plenty he’d rather be doing. He was confined to this stall for a couple more hours but luckily it was almost his break. He stood fully and stretched, running his hand over the back of his neck. He couldn’t complain about his job though, he got to sell badass swords all day. Gajeel worked at the blacksmith booth at the renaissance fair, but not because he liked the fair or anything. He personally couldn’t care less about history, they’d actually hired him so here he was. Thankfully they placed him in the blacksmith booth, because he didn’t exactly fit in anywhere else. He was often regarded as large and scary, though he didn’t think 6’ was that tall. He cracked a small smirk as he leaned back on the counter, thinking about the look people usually gave him when they saw him coming towards them, likely because of all his piercings. It was the most striking thing about him, as he had studs above his eyes for eyebrows, he had two piercings in his nose, one in his chin, and a few on his forearms. That, paired with his natural size, made for an intimidating figure. Up close was no less intimidating due to his red eyes. Everybody always assumed he wore contacts, as if he would ever do anything like that to change his appearance. He scoffed at the thought and went back to scanning the crowd of people as he muttered to himself “it’s genetic..”.

Gajeel was pulled out of his thoughts when a bright splotch of blue color caught his eye. Being that he worked at the renaissance fair, he mostly stared at a lot of drab colors all day, with pale yellows, earthy greens, and dirty whites. Granted the guests didn’t dress up in the historical garb, but he still got tired of seeing the same view everyday. Glancing over to the flash of blue in question, he realized it belonged to the hair of a short petite girl walking through the crowd. She wore a fancy white shirt that Gajeel could only guess was a blouse, blue skinny jeans, and black sneakers. A small black headband in her hair held it from falling in her face, leaving the blue mess to land around her shoulders. Gajeel watched her as she walked by, noticing the cheerful expression on her face as she seemed to be in a wonderland. He also couldn’t help but notice her backside once she had gone by, as it stood out from the rest of her tiny frame. Gajeel couldn’t help but stare for a moment before returning his gaze to the crowd, but his mind remained on her.

* * *

Levy made her way through the fair, gazing around at all the different booths. She had been here before when she was younger but hadn’t been in years, and it still amazed her. She had always had a love for history so the fair was right up her alley. However, today she wasn’t visiting for fun. Levy was here on a mission to get a job, hoping that this would be one she would enjoy rather than loathe going to. She found her way to the main office, which also housed things such as the lost and found and dealt with any problems the guests may have. Upon entering, the older woman behind the desk perked up and greeted her. Levy noted that she was one of the few employees that got to wear normal clothing, rather than the “renaissance” outfits everybody outside had to don. “Anything I can help you with today dear?” the woman chimed from her desk. “Yes actually! My name is Levy McGarden, I came to inquire about a position with the fair?” she stated as she walked up to the desk. “And what exactly would you be looking for? We always need more servers” the woman laughed, knowing that many young women didn’t last very long as all the servers had to dress up and play the role of a “pretty maiden”. “I was hoping there would be something more on the informational side? Maybe like educating children or giving tours or something like that, I’m really good with all the historical knowledge here” Levy beamed at the woman, much like a small child, which given her stature wasn’t that far from the truth. The woman furrowed her brow a bit and looked worried before replying slowly “well..in all honesty miss I don’t think we have many open right now, if at all..but I’ll check all our available positions!” she stated, her cheerful demeanor returning as she walked into a back room. Levy nodded as the woman disappeared, before letting out a quiet sigh and leaning against the desk. “I knew this wouldn’t go well..” she mumbled.

A few minutes later Levy found herself standing in front of an alcohol booth, simply titled “The Ale House”. Staring up at it she sighed and shook her head. “Why did I agree to this again?” she asked herself as she walked up to the booth and waived the attendant over. The woman in question was a young brunette, who in traditional “renaissance” style, had on an old and worn looking dress with her breasts pushed up as if they were trying to escape. “What’ll it be sugar?” the barmaid asked, leaning onto the counter with her chest on full display. Levy turned a bright shade of red before managing to stammer out “a-actually I’m here to work! I’m applying for the position here, and the lady at the desk told me to come speak to you. She said you were in charge of the hiring?”. The woman laughed and stood back to her full height, making a motion for Levy to follow her around the back of the booth. “Ohh alright, well come on in then. The jobs pretty easy, all you’ve gotta do is get people drinks. Simple enough yeah?” she asked as she let Levy inside through the tarp. “Seems that way. Though is it a requirement to wear the outfit so..low?” Levy asked through a slight blush. “Huh? Oh, nah that’s just something I do for tips. Plus I don’t mind the attention myself, and I ain’t never been one to be shy. Though I will admit it may be hard to find a uniform for ya..” the woman trailed off as she looked Levy up and down. “It’s because I’m short isn’t is?” Levy asked as she stared up at the taller girl. Even though they appeared to be the same age, the brunette was at least half a foot taller, as Levy only stood at 5’ tall, though she’d argue that she’s 5’1”. “Well that’s part of the issue sweetie. The other is uh..well to be blunt, my chest is helping to hold up some of this dress, even though it don’t quite look that way” she said, her eyes still on Levy. The small girl blushed yet again and brought her hands to her chest. “W-what do you mean? I can’t work here because I don’t have D cups or something!?” Levy blurted out without thinking. She had always been teased for her size, her chest included. She was barely a C cup and although it meant she could buy cute bras, she often felt jealous of other girls as it seemed as if everything about her was small in comparison. Even her best friend Lucy was borderline DD, and as much as she loved her she couldn’t deny that sometimes she wondered what it was like to get a guys attention so easily. The brunette waved her hands in front of her as she held back a laugh. “Hey hey, we’ll figure something out! I’ll check what size uniforms we’ve got, maybe we've got a small somewhere alright? What’s your name anyways hon?” she asked as she began digging through some boxes. “Oh! It’s Levy. Levy McGarden” she said, realizing she never properly introduced herself. “Well Levy we might have found our solution. Oh, and the names Cana” she stated, tossing a dress at Levy. “See how that works for ya. And don’t worry about a thing, a cutie like you will do fine getting tips without my tricks” Cana said with a toothy smile that could almost be considered a smirk. Levy gave a light smile and nodded. “Cutes my middle name” she said with a small laugh.

* * *

After managing to clear the booth of customers, Gajeel was finally allowed to take his break. He glanced at his phone as he walked out back, unwrapping the sandwich he had brought with him. He sighed, knowing that after his 30 minute break he still had to work until 5, and it was 1 now. Half his day was over, but he still had half left. Following his usual routine he walked over to get a beer, since employees usually let the others eat or drink free as long as it wasn’t too much. Cana always let him slide with a drink for lunch, as otherwise she knew Gajeel would rag her out for sneaking drinks all day long. Not that he would actually ever tell, even if she did make him pay. They were friends and he wouldn’t do that to a friend. Either way, he was happy for the free drinks.

Gajeel sat at one of the barstools and eyed Cana, standing at the far left side of the booth, multiple taps stretching the wall between them. “The usual” Gajeel said, taking another bite of his sandwich. Cana gave him a sly smile but didn’t budge. “What, ya gonna make me say please again?” he asked, humoring her. “Sorry Gajeel, I’m training somebody right now. I’m merely supervising and helping. You’ll have to give her your order” Cana stated, waving her hand nonchalantly. Gajeel’s look of amusement dropped. Not only was he not gonna get his drink free, but he had to wait for this mystery employee to appear. Cana raised an eyebrow at him as Gajeel reached over and rang the bell to let the other woman know he was there. Gajeel couldn’t figure out Cana sometimes, sure she liked to tease people but why wouldn’t she even come talk to him? She just stood 10 feet away and gave him that look like she knew something he didn’t. “Coming!” a voice rang out from the back, with Levy shuffling through the flap on the right of the tap a few moments later. She was carrying a wooden crate with glass mugs in it that looked to weigh about as much as she did. Gajeel recognized her immediately as the blue haired girl from earlier in the day, though now she sported the same dress as Cana, but in a much smaller size. Her chest wasn’t falling out as Cana’s was, and rather than the dress going down to her knees it ended at her mid-thigh. Gajeel looked the small girl up and down, his eyes lingering on her legs as they had before. He couldn’t deny that he was staring a bit, and Cana knew he wasn’t one for large breasts, preferring the lower end of things. No wonder she was over there smirking. He already saw her ass from a distance earlier and now here he was staring at her legs. “Sir?” the girl asked, snapping him out of his daydream. Gajeel looked up and met eyes with the blue-haired girl, and immediately wished he hadn’t. Her eyes looked almost golden, and were bright and innocent looking compared to his own. To Gajeel it looked as if she had the sun in her iris’. “Just a pint” Gajeel grumbled out. He kicked himself for being rude to the girl but to his surprise she gave him a smile and said “coming right up!” as she turned toward the tap wall. A moment later she turned back around with her cheeks pink, and let out a nervous laugh, saying “oh, um, what brand sir?”. Gajeel saw this as a chance to redeem himself and cleared his throat before replying “what would you recommend?”. Levy appeared to go blank, as if she was searching every memory in her head. She gave a glance at Cana, who laughed and waved her hand. “Don’t worry about him Levy, he’s just giving you a hard time, he knows you’re new here”. Levy turned back to Gajeel, giving him a slightly confused look. Upon looking closer at him she realized he was dressed like an employee, and not in some form of cosplay as some guests do. “Is that true?” Levy asked, her cheeks puffing out a bit in annoyance. Gajeel couldn’t help but laugh at the girls face, it was both amusing and rather cute. “Hey, don’t laugh! You were, weren't you!” Levy asked again, this time crossing her arms. Gajeel gave her a smirk and took another bite of his sandwich “I wasn’t, but I do like the reaction I’m getting”. Levy turned a light red and turned around, filling a mug from a random tap. “Well here then, since you won’t tell me you get mystery beer”. Gajeel shrugged and downed it along with the rest of his sandwich. “Doesn’t bother me any shortstack” he said, wiping his mouth on the back of his hand and flashing her a smirk. Levy took the time to take in his appearance as he drank, noticing how odd the man looked. His long black hair was unruly but it looked good on him. He had piercings lining his face and forearms, which led her to wonder where else they may be along his body. And his eyes were a piercing red, something she had never seen before. Looking at his smirking expression, she noticed his teeth appeared rather sharp as well, almost like fangs. He sure was odd looking, but something about him was interesting to her, so she decided to play his game. “And who do you think you’re calling short huh?” Levy asked, poking her finger at his chest. Gajeel froze, a light shade of pink threatening to creep across his face. Who the hell was this girl? She looked so petite he could carry her effortlessly, yet she had the gall to stand up to him despite his appearance. Levy stared at him, her eyes looking firm, yet kind. A small blush appeared on her cheeks, as she couldn’t help but realize how firm and sturdy his chest was. Sure she was small and he clearly wasn’t, but she didn’t notice until now that he was rather fit. Gajeel let out a laugh and stood up, causing Levy to look up at him. “Sorry but I’ve got to get back to work. I’ll see ya around” he said, waving his hand as he turned to leave. Levy sighed and pursed her lips as he turned away. So he liked to tease girls huh? Well two could play at that game. “Hey wait! Take this” she said as she tore a blank piece of paper from the cash register under the counter and scribbled something on it. He walked back over to her and gave her a confused look. She handed the paper out to him with a smug look on her face, and he slowly took it as he got one final look at her before walking away. With her face and messy blue hair still on his mind, he glanced down at the piece of paper to see a makeshift bill scribbled on it for one drink. “Oh, so she thinks she’s funny huh?” he thought to himself as he scanned it. Looking closer at it he realized she had included a line that said “Server: Levy” as well as “For any and all questions, please call:” followed by a phone number. Gajeel smirked and stuffed the piece of paper into his pocket. He liked this one.


	2. Chapter 2

Gajeel unlocked the door to his apartment and walked in, kicking off his boots as he shut the door behind him. The apartment was small, only a 1 bedroom and bath, but it served its purpose and was enough for him. Stepping into the living room he heard a small mew, as his cat climbed onto the arm of the sofa to greet him. “Hey Lily, you hungry?” Gajeel asked, scratching the top of the black cats head. The cat purred in response, before hopping down and following its owner into the kitchen. After feeding Lily, Gajeel set about feeding himself. Living alone caused him to learn how to cook, and he even somewhat enjoyed it, as he liked to create things. Sure food wasn’t that great of a creation but it was still something. Rummaging through the fridge, he decided on making a burger for simplicity sake along with French fries from the freezer. Shortly he was sitting on the couch with his meal, joined by his cat laying against his thigh. He turned the television on but didn’t pay attention to it. Instead he had a conversation with his cat regarding the new girl at work. 

“So this girl gave me her number today, right Lily? But the thing is, I don’t know if I should call her tonight. I mean, does she expect me to? Is it rude not to? But it just seems desperate if I do, right?” Gajeel asked, glancing over at his companion. Lily simply looked back up at him and meowed, which seemed to satisfy Gajeel. “That’s what I thought. Definitely not cool. You’ve gotta wait a day or two, that’s like, fucking scripture or something innit?” Gajeel wondered aloud, waving his burger around. “Mew!” Lily answered excitedly, staring at the food being wove around, unbeknownst to Gajeel. “Exactly” Gajeel nodded, taking another bite. “Be honest with you though, I can’t see us working...the girls pretty but she’s so small and i don’t want to hurt her. I’m not quite sure why she gave me her number, I don’t really think I’d be her type”. Gajeel sighed and tried to clear the thoughts from his head. He didn’t know anything about the girl, other than her name and that she had a fire in her. Though he had to admit he liked that. Most people were afraid of him due to his size and appearance, as if he’d ever do anything to anybody that didn’t deserve it. But she didn’t back down at all, she held her gaze firm and even though she looked serious, that kindness never left her eyes. Gajeel didn’t realize he was sitting on his couch half smirking thinking about her until a loud commercial startled him out of his daydream. “Cmon Gajeel, ya met her one time, quit being an idiot” he told himself, shaking his head. 

* * *

Levy opened the door to her 2-bedroom apartment to a familiar sight, her best friend and roommate Lucy laying on the couch with her arms outstretched in a hugging motion. “Levy!” the girl shouted as she sat up and walked over. “Hey Lucy, I got hired by the way!” Levy told her friend excitedly. “That’s great Lev!” the blonde exclaimed before pointing at Levy’s arms. “What’s that thing?” she asked, referencing the bundle of cloth Levy was carrying. “Oh, uh...well it’s my uniform” Levy said, holding the dress up by the sleeves. Lucy stared at the old-timey dress and couldn’t help but crack a goofy smile. “Well any job is better than no job?” Lucy tried before giggling. “Oh c'mon it’s not that bad! The girl that trained me said I looked cute in it! Plus I even got hit on! Well...kinda” Levy said, going to throw the dress in the wash. At this news Lucy’s eyes shot open and she rushed over to her friend. “Wait you got hit on!? Was he cute? Tall? Short? Big? Small? Muscular? Nerdy? I need to know!” Lucy said, practically shaking the smaller girl as she held her by the shoulders. “I’ll explain I’ll explain!” Levy begged as she was released from her friends grasp. “Let me at least heat up that leftover pizza first” she said, walking into the kitchen. “Uhh...about that…” Lucy said sheepishly as she peeked around the corner. Levy sighed and opened up the freezer instead and grabbed a frozen personal pizza. “Should’ve known it wouldn’t survive your day off” Levy muttered with a half smile. Lucy hugged the small girl from behind and gave her a light squeeze as she said “sorryyyyy”. Levy giggled and waved her hand in response “it’s fine, really”.

A few minutes later the two girls sat on the couch with Lucy grilling Levy for every possible detail about her day. Specifically the parts that involved a boy, as she seemed less interested in hearing about how Levy ended up as a barmaid or who Cana was. “Sooo, spill! What happened?” Lucy asked, leaning closer. Levy had to laugh at her friends enthusiasm, as she answered through bites of pizza “Well, basically this big scary looking guy came and wanted his regular, but obviously I didn’t know what it was. So I gave him a random beer and he walked off without paying, and I called him back over and gave him a fake receipt with my number on it” Levy said with a shrug. Lucy nearly fell off the couch at this news. “LEVY!” she shouted in shock. “You can’t just give the guy some random beer! That’s rude! No wonder he didn’t pay for it!” she said, exasperated. “He was being rude first! He knew I was new there!” Levy quipped. “Huh? How would he know that?” Lucy asked confused. Levy rolled her eyes and sighed. “He works at the fair Luce, he had on the same type of outfit” she answered. Lucy nodded as the dots connected in her mind. “Ok sure I’m with you, but you just gave him your number!?” Lucy asked, again in shock. Levy giggled and shrugged. “I dunno, he was interesting. Just something about him I guess…” she trailed off, as her cheeks turned a light shade of pink. Lucy noticed, being the observant friend she was and immediately seized her chance. “You know that I know you’re blushing girl. You like him don’t you?” she teased. Levy waved her hands in self defense, opting to tell part of the truth. “I hardly even know him! All I know is what he looks like! And that he doesn’t talk much” she answered. “Ooh, so the strong silent type huh? I always pictured you with some smarty pants considering you’re one yourself, what with all those books you read” Lucy said, continuing to tease her friend. It was true that Levy did spend a lot of her free time reading, and was often labeled as nerdy or boring because of it. She simply loved immersing herself in different worlds, and if it meant she got teased some then so be it. She wasn’t going to stop what she loved just because it wasn’t considered cool. “Well I guess opposites attract?” Levy tried, a slight blush still staining her cheeks. “Yeah yeah, whatever you say” the blonde continued in a sing-song voice, keen on further teasing her friend, “Levy and-wait...what’s his name? How am I supposed to sing the kissing song if I don’t know his name?” Lucy said, mock pouting. Levy stared at her friend in disbelief before yelling “I didn’t get his name!” and throwing her head into her hands. She couldn’t believe herself, how did she forget that part of all things? “Are you sure you just didn’t forget it?” Lucy tried, knowing her friend wouldn’t forget such a thing. Nonetheless, Levy sat for a moment and thought before shaking her head. “No, I told you everything. No name. The only other thing I forgot about was poking his chest” Levy said, her finger resting by her mouth in a thinking expression. “You poked his chest too!? What other juicy details did you forget!” the blonde said in frustration as she fell back onto the couch. “How is that juicy!?” Levy replied, the blush threatening to creep back. Lucy looked at her friend and huffed. “How’d it feel hm?” she asked mockingly. Levy stared at the girl unsure of what answer she wanted or expected. Thinking back, she replied the first thing she thought at the time. “Solid?” she said softly, the blush creeping across her face. “N-not that I got a good feel or anything it wasn’t like that! Just a poke is all!” she quickly reiterated, waving her hands frantically. Lucy fell into a fit of laughter at this with Levy joining her soon after.

“So do you think he’ll call?” Levy asked her friend after dinner. “Hmm…” the blonde pondered, staring up at nothing. “I think so!” she said proudly with a beaming smile. “Ever the confident one” Levy replied with a small laugh. “Well confidence is key! Plus you’re cute as hell!” Lucy shot back, trying to help her friend stay positive. “I dunno Luce, I don’t think I’m really his type…” Levy admitted, a disappointed look coming over her otherwise cheerful face. “Well you don’t know that! You hardly know the guy” Lucy reminded her. “That’s true, but I don’t know that he’d be interested in a small book nerd like me...especially when he’s so big and has piercings all over and stuff…” Levy sighed, beginning to lose hope already. Lucy chose to ignore the piercings comment and instead focused on lifting her friend’s spirits. “Lev you don’t know! He probably thinks you’re super cute and pretty! Like a little fairy!” Lucy said, using her arms to mimic wings. Levy couldn’t help but giggle at the thought. “He did stare at my eyes a bit…” Levy admitted with a small smile. “See! I’m telling you, everything’s gonna be fine” she assured her friend. Much to Levy’s annoyance however, Gajeel had already decided he wasn’t calling tonight.


	3. Chapter 3

Gajeel was excited to take his break, he was hoping a certain new face was working again. As he sat down at the bar he spotted Levy and couldn’t help but flash a grin. Cana glanced over at him but didn’t react to his appearance. That was fine with him, he wanted Levy again anyways. “Lemme get the usual” he said, causing her to glance over her shoulder at him. Upon seeing her face, Gajeel's grin vanished. Levy’s face seemed emotionless, as if she couldn’t care less that he was there or that she had ever seen him before in her life. “Sure” she said as she walked over and pulled the same tap as yesterday and delivered the glass before returning to what she was doing. Gajeel stared dumbfounded at her back with his mouth slightly agape. What the hell was that anyways? What did he do? As he was deep in contemplation, he didn’t notice Cana walk over as Levy went into the back. “Listen, between you and me, you fucked up” Cana whispered with a mocking grin. “The hell does that mean! I didn’t do anything!” Gajeel whispered back harshly. Cana laughed and shook her head. “Yeah, and that’s the problem” she told him before walking off.

* * *

Levy sighed as she stepped into the back room. First he didn’t call and then he had the gall to act like he didn’t do anything wrong? I mean sure it wasn’t the biggest deal but still, it was rude. Maybe she was overreacting. She began to tap at her chin as she thought. After a few moments of contemplation she was trapped between letting it go like she usually does or staying mad at him. Maybe he had something come up, or maybe he planned on calling tonight? But if he was really interested he would’ve called yesterday...at least that’s what she couldn’t help but think. Well whatever, she didn’t need his attention anyways she decided, placing her hands on her hips in defiance. Walking back out however, she was met with something she didn’t expect.

* * *

“Hey, uh..Levy?” Gajeel spoke softly upon seeing her return. The small girl jumped slightly and looked at him with wide eyes. “Can I talk to you for a second?” he asked, averting his eyes and scratching at the back of his neck, causing her to once again notice his wild hair. “Oh, uh..well there’s no other customers, so sure” she answered, stepping closer to him. He had moved from his previous seat to the one closest to the back room, so that he was on her left upon walking out rather than directly in front of her. She wasn’t expecting him to actually seem sorry, or really even try and talk to her. But his tone wasn’t what she had previously heard. Before it was always gravelly and a bit mocking or playful, but now it seemed softer and regretful. Though the gravelly sound didn’t go anywhere, it was just how he sounded. If he mumbled it would probably be impossible to distinguish what he said, she thought to herself as she waited for him to say what he wanted. 

“Listen I uh..I wanted to call you last night” he finally managed to get out. He hated apologizing and did everything in his power to avoid saying he was sorry, so instead he danced around it. Levy’s face softened a bit, her resolve deteriorating. She could tell he meant it. “Why didn’t you then?” she asked plainly. Gajeel stared at her and despite not wanting to tell the truth, he couldn’t for whatever reason lie to her. Something about the way her eyes look at him wouldn’t let him. They looked too earnest, too full of kindness. “I...thought you’d think I was desperate…” he mumbled just loud enough for her to hear. Levy looked at the large man before her and let out a small giggle. Gajeel’s mouth fell open but before he could say anything she leaned on the counter and gave him a small smile. “Desperate, no. Interested, yes. And I like when men show an effort” she told him, looking up at him. Gajeel couldn’t help but feel a blush creeping over his cheeks as he looked at the girl. His eyes wandered from her bright eyes to her small pink lips, down to her exposed collarbone. “Yeah well..I’ll make it up to ya” he said, shrugging as he looked up in thought of how to while crossing his arms over his chest. Levy raised an eyebrow at him and stood up. “Well let me know when you think of something, but don’t keep me waiting too long” she said as she turned to walk away. In a panic Gajeel shouted “Wait!” causing Levy to jump and turn back around. Nothing came to Gajeel’s mind. He couldn’t think of anything at all. “Yes?” she asked, stepping closer. “Uh..do you like swords?” he tried.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey all! I'm gonna try and update this about once a week or so, I've got a few chapters ready to post but I'd like to keep a backlog just in case I get busy with stuff. Thanks for the support!

At closing time, Gajeel found himself waiting at his booth for Levy. He replayed the memory in his head and couldn’t help but feel like an idiot. Do you like swords? Really? He shook his head and looked down at the dirt as he leaned against the outside of the booth. It somehow worked though, as Levy revealed that she enjoyed history and knew that the swords were historically accurate and would love a closer look. Lost in his thought, he didn’t see her come walking up. Levy had changed out of her work uniform and back into her regular clothing, today being black ripped jean shorts and a light orange tank top. Gajeel didn’t see her until she was right on top of him, not allowing him to adjust to her outfit at all. If he had been drinking something he would’ve spit it out. “Hey uh...you” Levy said, her eyes going wide. “What’s wrong?” he asked, raising an eyebrow at her. “I don’t know your name, actually” she realized, looking up at him. Gajeel cursed at himself internally. How the hell had he neglected to tell her that until now? “It’s Gajeel” he said plainly. “Gajeel…?” Levy trailed off, rocking back and forth on her heels. Gajeel stared at the girl before him and couldn’t help but think about how cute she looked. He always liked dyed hair, and that mess of blue held back by a headband on her head was beginning to get to him. Not to mention her shorts did a good job of showing off her legs. He brought himself back to reality and nodded slightly. “Yeah, that’s my name” he confirmed. Levy sighed and rolled her eyes. “I was asking for your last name too” she stated as she stuck her hand out. “Levy McGarden” she said with a smile. Gajeel felt like an idiot as he took her small hand in his, gently shaking it. “Gajeel Redfox” he mumbled.

Inside the tent, Levy darted around admiring the metalwork. She would comment on this and that, saying how it was just how it should look or that it should be sharper but that she understood why it wasn’t. She knew a lot about the swords, more than Gajeel did as far as accuracy. He just knew what he was supposed to make. He noticed after a while though that she kept pointing to things, rather than actually touching them. “Y’know it’s alright if you touch them, right?” he asked her. “Oh, well, I don’t wanna be a bother or anything, it’s okay really” she said, waving her hand. Gajeel grabbed a cloth and brought it over to her. “Here. To wipe it off after. That way you can touch all you want” he said handing it to her. Levy looked at the small cloth in her hands and then back up to Gajeel before beaming at him. “Thanks!” she said excitedly as she tucked it into her back pocket and ran over to a large sword. “I did wanna see how heavy this was…” she admitted, grabbing the handle and beginning to lift. Her eyes went wide as about half of the sword lifted before she put it back down. “Oh! That’s uh..well that’s lighter than I thought! Whoa..” she said laughing a little as it waved a bit. “Kinda hard to control though, it’s so big it’s a bit unruly” she said before realizing what she said. Upon thinking she looked down to hide her blush and set the sword back down. Gajeel smirked slightly and stepped closer. “Is that how you like your swords?” he said in a teasing manner. Levy turned and looked at him and got an idea. If he was going to tease her about what she said she could at least get a show out of this. “I just didn’t realize it was so light is all. Can you control it?” she asked innocently. “Huh? Course I can” Gajeel said bluntly, grabbing the handle and lifting the sword off the table about a foot and placing it back down. Levy felt her cheeks turn pink as she watched the man pick it up with just one hand. “Um...isn’t that a two-handed sword?” she asked sheepishly. Gajeel nodded and picked it back up, with one hand under the handle and the other under the blade, presenting it to her as he did with all the guests that came to the booth. “It’s meant to be swung with both hands yeah, so that it kills in one hit. It’s a paladin sword and was meant to only be used in executions. That’s why there’s no sharp tip, it’s just flat. And also why the blade is so sharp” he explained as she looked over the sword. “The detail is so pretty…” she said, admiring the golden design on the blade. “But how come it feels so light?” she asked looking up at him. “Well it only weighs around 5 pounds, but it’s hard to swing it around in a fight for extended periods of time. Think about it like holding a weight at arm's length from you” Gajeel said. Levy thought about it and shuddered. “I hate exercise” she said shaking her head. “Most people do. But it’s also a way to take your mind off stuff” he said setting the sword back down and holding his hand out to her for the cloth. She couldn’t help but notice his large biceps as he set the sword down, her attention now drawn to his outstretched hand. She looked at it confused before complying and placing her hand in his. “I was asking for the cloth, shorty” Gajeel said, a grin stretched across his face. Levy blushed red and quickly fixed her mistake. “Right right, I knew that” she mumbled quickly. Gajeel wiped the sword clean and nodded his head to the side. “I won’t drag you by the hand, but there’s still more to show you. C’mere” he said, walking over to a smaller and more cluttered table.

Levy was in awe at the knives that littered the table, her eyes going from one to the other. The table was covered with different knives, most of them daggers, though there were a few more modern choices. “This isn’t a real ruby right?” she asked, pointing to the hilt of an adorned dagger. “God no, it’s just for show” Gajeel replied, thinking it a silly question. “I figured it was just costume. A real one would be much too expensive for anybody to actually purchase I’m sure, especially at that size” Levy said, looking up at him. She blinked a few times and pointed at his face excitedly. “Hey, it matches your eyes! They’re red like a ruby!” she said breaking into a smile. Gajeel couldn’t help but look away to hide the pink on his cheeks. “Yeah, my eyes have always been red. Always thought it was kinda cool but not everybody thinks so” he muttered. Levy looked at him for a moment with her head cocked slightly to the side before shrugging. “Well I like them. They’re different” she said, returning to the knives. Gajeel stared at the side of her head with his mouth open a bit. Who the hell was this girl and more importantly where had she been? “So uh...you like rubies?” Gajeel asked, not wanting to let the conversation die. “I like all kinds of jewels really, but the color is really pretty. Think you can guess my favorite?” she asked, turning to him. Gajeel racked his brain for the different types of stones. None of them seemed to stand out to him, so he was taking a shot in the dark. “There's no need to think so hard, it’s not a difficult question!” Levy said, giggling and waving her hand. “Here, I’ll give you a hint” she said, pointing to her head. Gajeel blinked a few times before understanding. “Ohh, so it’s a blue stone” he said nodding. Levy looked back up at him and waited, swaying back and forth. “Go onnn” she encouraged him. Unfortunately for Gajeel, she was distracting him at the same time. Her movement back and forth had his eyes attached to her hips, once again reminding him of the small black shorts she was wearing. Catching himself, he managed to blurt out an answer. “Uh, s-sapphire?” he tried, hoping she didn’t notice him staring. Levy nodded and flashed him a smile. “Yup. Took ya long enough” she teased. “Not my fault I’m distracted” he mumbled. Gajeel didn’t think she would be able to distinguish what he said, but she caught it. “Distracted?” she asked, giving him a concerned look. “N-not in a bad way! I’m just uh..hungry...is all” he said, hoping to cover himself. “Oh! What time is it?” she asked, pulling her phone out of her pocket. “6:30 already? I guess it is dinner time after all, sorry to keep you so long” she apologized. “Oh no it’s fine, really. If you want we can grab something together? There’s a diner not far from here, if you want I mean…” Gajeel said, averting his eyes to avoid her gaze. “Sure! I know the place” she said happily.


	5. Chapter 5

Gajeel glanced over his menu at the girl across the booth from him. He had already decided what he wanted, but used the menu to hide his eyes and appear as if he was still deciding. Levy’s eyes scanned the menu in concentration, her brow slightly furrowed. Gajeel thought it was funny how focused she appeared, and found himself captivated by her. He followed her messy blue hair down to her shoulders where it pooled, then back up to her face where she suddenly looked up at him. Gajeel jumped slightly which made Levy giggle.

“What's got you so jumpy?” she asked with a smile. “Nothing, just didn't expect you to look up like that. You seemed pretty focused and it was amusing so I was watching ya is all” Gajeel replied with a shrug. “And do you always watch girls Gajeel?” Levy asked, putting her elbows on the table with a small smirk. Gajeel cracked a smile and leaned forward as well, ready to play her game. “Only the pretty ones” he quipped, causing Levy’s face to turn pink. Before he got to hear her rebuttal, the waitress interrupted them, causing them both to jump, a small squeak coming from Levy. After they placed their orders, a silence fell over them, both unsure whether to continue from before or to simply move on. Levy was the one to break the silence, opting to learn more about Gajeel.

“So how long have you been working at the blacksmith booth?” she asked, causing Gajeel to rub his hand against his cheek in concentration. “Uhh...I guess about a year?” he replied after a few seconds. Levy shrugged and gave him a small smile. “It doesn't really matter, I was just curious is all. Where do you guys order all the swords from anyhow?” Levy asked, eager to know who they received their inventory from. “Honestly I don’t even know, the boss handles that. Though half the stuff in there is my own” he stated matter of factly as he took a sip from his drink. Levy stared at him blankly for a moment before she understood, or so she thought. “Oh, you mean half of that stuff was your own collection?” she asked for clarification. “Huh? No, I made it, shorty” Gajeel said with a small laugh. “What, you thought I didn’t have any secret talents?” he asked, leaning back and crossing his arms with a grin. Levy’s mouth fell open as she stared at the man in front of her. “YOU MADE THOSE!?” she exclaimed excitedly, causing the waitress to jump. “Well I didn't but the chef did” the waitress said as she placed their food down on the table. Levy blushed red in embarrassment of her outburst, causing Gajeel’s grin to widen. As the waitress left Gajeel shrugged and leaned forward to eat, deciding to tease Levy once again. “What can I say, I’m good with my hands” he stated, causing Levy to mutter under her breath. “Stupid Gajeel…” she said quietly, earning a small laugh from him which caused Levy to note that he had good hearing.

The conversation continued during dinner onto different topics such as current living situations and family, causing Levy to gush about her best friend Lucy and how much she missed her parents cooking despite enjoying being on her own. Gajeel made a mental note of that, knowing good and well that he was a decent cook himself. “I’m sorry, I’ve been rambling on about myself haven’t I? What about you Gajeel, what's your living situation like?” she asked, causing Gajeel to quit staring at her lips. He had been content to simply look at the girl and listen to her talk. He usually zoned out from conversations out of boredom, but he liked to listen to her voice. It was soft and comforting, and he certainly didn’t mind keeping his eyes on her. “I just live alone, unless you count Lily” Gajeel said with a shrug. Levy’s heart sank at this. She should’ve known Gajeel had other girls in his life. “Oh I see. Is she a temporary roommate or?” Levy asked, attempting to not sound disappointed. She couldn’t help but feel disappointed, she didn’t know why but something about Gajeel interested her. He wasn’t bad looking, that was for sure. Sure he was a bit rough around the edges but she was drawn to him anyways. She had a feeling under the rough exterior he was nothing but a big teddy bear, if he would ever drop his guard for somebody that is. “He. And I’d say he’s pretty permanent, at least unless he decides to go back to living on the street” Gajeel said, as if this was completely normal. “Gajeel! You can’t just kick somebody out onto the street!” Levy said in a harsh whisper. “I’m the one that rescued the furball from the street!” Gajeel stated, staring back at her. Levy turned a bright pink and stammered at him. “Fur...ball?” she asked meekly. “Yeah, furball. Lily is my cat” Gajeel said, beginning to understand her confusion. “Did you think…?” he started but Levy cut him off. “I’m so sorry, I should’ve known you wouldn’t kick somebody onto the street” she said, looking up at him with big eyes. Gajeel stared back and felt a small blush creeping up. “It’s fine, I should’ve been more clear” he replied. “So you forgive me?” she asked shyly. Gajeel looked at her, her big eyes shining. She appeared genuinely sorry over such a simple mistake, one that was arguably his fault. How could he not forgive her? “Of course I do” he said just loud enough for her to hear. He wasn’t sure why but the moment felt intimate, as if nobody else should hear them. Levy broke into a large smile and beamed at him. “Thank you Gajeel” she said as the waitress came back with their check. “Don’t mention it” he replied, waving his hand as he picked up the check. 

“And what do you think  _ you're _ doing?” Levy asked, her expression stern. “Uh...paying?” Gajeel replied confused. “Only for yourself I hope” she said, her expression softening a bit but remaining firm. “And if I’m not?” he asked, a smile beginning to form at the corner of his lips. Levy huffed and pointed a finger at him. “Then you’re gonna be in trouble” she told him. Gajeel let out a small laugh and held his hands up in mock fear. “Ooh, I’m so scared” he teased. “Fine then, no more beer for you on lunch breaks. If you want it, order it from Cana” Levy said casually, leaning back and crossing her arms over her chest. Gajeel froze and looked at the small girl before him. She had nerve. And he liked it. He leaned towards her to see if she would back down. “Is that so?” he asked in a low voice. Levy nodded her head and a sly smile threatened the corners of her lips. “You can pay for me when we go on a real date, how about that?” she asked, standing up. Gajeel blushed pink and quickly got up and looked away to hide it. “Alright shortstack, you win this time” he muttered. Levy perked up at this and shot him a big smile. “Thanks Gajeel” she practically beamed. Gajeel sighed as they approached the register. What the hell was this girl doing to him? Meanwhile Levy smiled to herself as they walked up. She knew he was hiding a teddy bear inside him.

As they exited the diner, Gajeel offered to walk Levy to her car. “If you don’t mind, I’d like that” Levy said, turning towards him. Gajeel nodded in response, and they began walking through the parking lot. It wasn’t a large parking lot, but Gajeel did notice that Levy seemed tense. “Everything alright?” he asked as they approached her car, a small dark blue four door. “Yeah, it’s just that I don’t like walking to my car alone at night. I’m not out late often, but when I am I really hate it” she admitted, looking down. “Don’t worry, nobody’s gonna mess with you with me around” Gajeel said with a laugh. Levy gave him a small smile and nodded. “That’s true. Thank you Gajeel” she said with a small smile as she opened her car door. “If you want I could teach you some self defense y’know” Gajeel offered, his hand combing through the back of his hair nervously. “We could meet up at the park?” he offered before she had the chance to answer. Levy thought about the idea of practicing self defense in public and immediately felt embarrassed. “That’s okay Gajeel, I appreciate the offer but I’m not so sure” Levy said reluctantly. Gajeel nodded and tucked his hands into his pockets. “Sure, just lemme know if you ever want to” he replied. He was a bit disappointed but he began to think he came on too strong. “Of course Gajeel, thanks for tonight, I had fun!” Levy said as she buckled in. Gajeel gave a small smile and nodded. “See you tomorrow?” she asked, closing the door and rolling the window down. “Yeah, same time” Gajeel replied, already thinking about seeing her again. With that the two said their goodbyes and parted ways for the night. Gajeel walked over to his motorcycle and shook his head. He couldn’t quit thinking about her.

* * *

Levy walked into her apartment to a frantic Lucy. “And WHERE have you been!?” Lucy yelled, grabbing Levy by the shoulders as she walked in. “Uh...dinner?” Levy replied with wide eyes. She was glad her friend was concerned for her safety, but was rather taken aback by how concerned. Lucy huffed and crossed her arms. “I was worried sick about you! I even saved you dinner” Lucy said gesturing to the counter where Chinese takeout sat. “Oh Lucy I’m so sorry. It’s just that I was with Gajeel at the booth longer than we expected and so we just went to eat because we were hungry, yknow?” Levy said apologetically. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you, I didn’t think much of it” she continued. Lucy stared at her roommate and sat down on the couch with a blank look. “Lucy?” Levy asked quietly. Lucy patted the couch beside her and smiled. “Spill girl” Lucy said with a squeal. Levy sighed but couldn’t help but smile. After telling Lucy of her night, the girls mouth was left hanging open. “YOU TOLD HIM NO!?” Lucy shouted in disbelief. Levy giggled at her friend and shrugged. “I mean I dunno, I didn’t wanna be a bother. Plus I’d feel silly in the park, god it would be so embarrassing” Levy said, almost feeling the need to cover her face with her hands. Lucy sighed and shook her head. “Listen. Levy. You can't say no to physical contact with the hottie!” Lucy said letting her hands slap her thighs. Levy thought about this, having not considered it before. A blush crept over her and she mumbled quietly. “Didn’t think about that…” she said, mentally kicking herself. “Fix it tomorrow?” Lucy offered. Levy nodded. “Definitely”.

* * *

Gajeel took a seat just as Levy walked out the back curtain of the Ale House. “Gajeel!” she said excitedly. Before he could get a word in she rushed over and leaned in. “I uh...wanted to apologize. About last night” she said, sending fear down Gajeel’s spine. Did she regret spending time with him? “I shouldn’t have said no so quickly, it’s just that I thought about practicing in the park and I know I’d get embarrassed being in public and whatnot, so I didn’t even really consider it. Would you still be willing to teach me?” Levy said all at once. A wave of relief washed over Gajeel and he let out a breath he didn’t know he was holding. “I can, if you’d like. Would you be more comfortable doing it somewhere else?” Gajeel offered. “Yeah I think I’d like it more in private if I’m being honest” Levy said with a small blush. “There’s probably enough room in my apartment if I move the couch” Gajeel said. Levy blanked and stared at him with her mouth slightly open and her cheeks pink. She managed to nod and give a small smile. Gajeel just invited her to his apartment. Lucy was going to lose her mind. “When’s your next day off?” Gajeel asked. “I’m off Friday” Levy replied quieter than she meant to. “Me too. So Friday?” Gajeel said with a small smirk. “Sounds good to me” Levy said with a smile as she went to get Gajeel his drink. As she walked away Gajeel once again looked her up and down, his eyes fixating on her legs. Friday was going to be tough.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey all, sorry this is a bit if a shorter chapter but I promise the next one is longer!

Friday morning came, and for Levy it brought with it a bundle of nerves. She got up and showered and made sure to eat so that she didn’t feel sick at Gajeel’s, but now it was time for the difficult part: choosing an outfit. “Hey Luce…?” Levy called out from her closet. Unbeknownst to Levy, the blonde had been anticipating this call all morning. “Yes?” she asked, poking her head in the door. Levy turned and looked at the blonde and gestured to her closet. “Help?” the small girl said meekly in what sounded like a plea. Lucy giggled and walked over. “I don’t know why you’re so nervous, you could wear a burlap sack and get his attention” Lucy said as she rifled through Levy’s clothes. “That’s not even remotely true!” Levy countered, a blush brightening her face. Lucy gave the girl a glance and shook her head. “You should give yourself more credit. He’s clearly interested in you” she said as she tossed clothes at Levy over her shoulder. “These are workout clothes but still cute, try these” Lucy stated as she turned towards Levy. 

Levy looked at them and then back at her friend. “Uh...Luce?” she asked softly. “What is it?” Lucy asked, looking confusedly at Levy. Levy turned pink and made a motion with her finger for Lucy to turn around. “Oh for crying out loud Lev” Lucy said with a sigh as she turned her back to the small girl before her. “You know I’m shy, don't even start!” Levy said as she began to change. “Lev, we’re both girls and you’re my best friend. We’ve been to the beach a dozen times. You think I don’t know what you look like?” Lucy said with a small laugh. “That's different, this is my underwear!” Levy said as she pulled the top on. “Like I haven’t seen your laundry?” Lucy responded quickly. Levy sighed and shook her head. “You can look now” she mumbled, knowing the blonde was right. Lucy turned around to admire her handiwork. She had given Levy a pair of black leggings and a loose white tank top. “Hm...comfortable, yet makes the eyes wander...gives you plenty of mobility...and shows off your assets. I approve” Lucy said as she went to leave the room. Levy blushed at her comments and let out a sigh. “Thanks Luce” she said with a small smile. “Don’t mention it. Oh, and you may wanna swap to a sports bra” Lucy said as she walked out. Levy looked down and blushed, realizing she was still wearing a lacy white bra. “SHUTUP!” Levy shouted in embarrassment, causing a roar of laughter from the living room.

* * *

Gajeel sat on his couch, bouncing his leg in anticipation. He had already cleared the living room and moved the couch off to the side, as well as texted Levy his address. She should be here any minute, he thought to himself as he looked up to check the clock, forgetting that his couch was in a different spot, causing him to stare at an empty wall. He sighed in exasperation and twisted himself to actually check the clock this time. It was almost 2pm, which is when she was meant to arrive. A small “mew?” sounded from his side, with Lily looking up at him. “Don’t scare me like that” Gajeel muttered as he began to pet the black cat, every sound causing him to be on edge. Why was he so nervous anyway? He had dated plenty of girls before so why was Levy any different? Gajeel sat, stuck in his thoughts for a moment before a knock caused him to jump. “Guess this one’s just special” he muttered as he walked over and opened the door, this time causing Levy to jump. 

“Oh, hey Gajeel” Levy said with a small smile. “Hey shorty” Gajeel responded, attempting to ease his nerves. Levy huffed and put her hands on her hips. “I’m not that short y’know, you’re just a giant” she teased back. Gajeel shrugged and motioned for her to come in. “Not like I can control it” he said with a grin as she walked inside, his eyes drifting down to admire her backside in the leggings. Before he got a chance however Levy whipped around with a shocked expression on her face. “And I can control this!?” she said motioning to herself. “You’re the one with all the muscles, that's your doing!” she said pointing a finger at him. 

Gajeel smirked a bit and crossed his arms over his chest. He was wearing a black tank top and gym shorts, which Levy noted the former of the two clung to his torso and left little to the imagination. “Is that so?” Gajeel teased. Levy sighed and waved her hand. “You know I’m right” she said as she walked into the living room and looked around. Gajeel simply laughed in response and followed, this time getting a good look at her ass. “It’s pretty big” Levy said, looking around the room. “You’re telling me” Gajeel responded without thinking. Levy turned and looked at him with an eyebrow raised. “You live here...wouldn’t you know?” she asked. Gajeel quickly realized what he said and made to cover his tracks. “Well it looks a lot bigger with everything moved, y’know? More uh…” he trailed off, unable to find the right word. “Spacious?” Levy suggested. Gajeel nodded and swallowed a lump in his throat. “Yeah, that” he said, causing Levy to giggle. “Don’t worry, I’m good with words” Levy said as she walked to the center of the room. “So, what's first?”.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey all, so for this chapter I had to look up some stuff and by no means am I an expert on the "training" they undergo, so if information isn't exactly accurate just use your imagination, I did my best. Anyways, hope you enjoy!

Gajeel walked over towards the television and grabbed something off of the display it sat upon. “Well, I was thinking since most people carry mace or a taser or whatnot in your purse and I haven’t seen you with one, you may want something you could carry on your person” he said, holding his hand out. Levy looked in his hand and saw what appeared to be a pocket knife. 

“You want me to stab somebody Gajeel?” she asked nervously. “No not stab, it should be more of a slicing motion” he said matter of factly. “Oh yeah cause that sounds better!” she said, beginning to panic a bit. She didn’t want to hurt anybody, let alone kill them! “Look I promise it's not as bad as it seems. A lot of people carry knives for self defense. They can be used to disarm and disable, not just hack away at em” Gajeel said calmly. Levy looked at him and sighed. “Alright, I trust you” she said softly, taking the item into her hand. Gajeel blushed slightly as she did so, her small hand felt soft and delicate in the brief moment it was touching his own.

“Right. So first, these aren't any danger to you. They’re rounded and aren’t sharp at all, they’re called trainers” he said, unfolding the small object and running his finger over it to show her. Levy watched and curiously unfolded her own and examined it. “Ohh, that's clever” she said as she turned it over in her hands. Gajeel watched her eyes light up in curiosity as she examined the object, and he couldn’t help but stare at her. Her normal messy hair that was usually held back by a headband was instead tied into a loose ponytail, but she left two strands free on either side in the front. Her lips were slightly parted as she stared at the object, and Gajeel wondered what they felt like. 

Levy looked up at him, causing Gajeel to continue. “I just thought maybe it would be useful to know how to use it is all, since it’s easier to carry and all” he said with a shrug. “I guess so...though I don’t really want to hurt anybody…” Levy said hesitantly. “Well if they want to hurt you and it’s either you or them, I’d rather they get hurt. Plus i’m only showing you defense” Gajeel said with a frown. Levy looked up at him and nodded. “I guess that's true. Alright Gajeel, I’m ready” she said with a small smile. Gajeel let out a sigh and felt the tension in his shoulders relax some. He just wanted her to be safe.

“Alright so first thing is they way you hold it. Either normal or reverse grip” Gajeel said, demonstrating the two positions. “Normal has the blade extending from the thumb side of the hand, and reverse has it from the pinky side. For you I would recommend normal” Gajeel said as Levy looked down at her hand. “Seems simpler that way to me” Levy said with a small giggle. Gajeel would normally enjoy hearing her laugh but right now he was trying to be serious, he wanted her to be safe. He knew she was strong spirited and wasn’t as fragile as her size made her seem but he couldn’t help but feel protective. “Right. Well the main reason is because of how you use each grip. The normal grip is more of a dodge/deflect and counterattack style, while the reverse grip involves more blocking. Since you’re smaller I recommend the normal grip, but personally I use reverse” Gajeel stated. 

Levy looked at him in awe. “You seem to know a lot about this” she said as she stared at him. Gajeel shrugged. “I have hobbies y’know” he said as he raised the trainer. “Like knife fighting?” she replied with a giggle as she mirrored him. Gajeel smirked a bit and waved her off. “Yeah yeah, you can judge me later. I’ll show you how to counter now if somebody is swinging at you ok?” Gajeel said as he swung his right arm at her in slow motion. Levy couldn’t help but laugh as she stepped back easily. “Now counter” Gajeel said, his arm fully extended across his body now. Levy quickly looked him over and lunged forward and swiped across his abdomen. “Like that?” she asked. 

Gajeel laughed a bit and reset his position. “Kinda, though you should aim to disarm or disable since its self defense. So you should aim for my arm” Gajeel said as he extended his arm out and pointed to the underside of his forearm. “These muscles here are responsible for my grip. So if you cut here I can’t hold the object. And these here allow me to pull my arm back and swing again” he said as he pointed to the back of his bicep. Levy watched with wide eyes as Gajeel explained. She didn’t think he was dumb by any means, but for him to be so knowledgeable on something made her smile a bit. She realized she enjoyed hearing him talk about something he cared about or was passionate about, and could sit and learn for as long as he would be willing to teach. Not to mention he was practically telling her to look at and admire his arms, Levy realized as a pink blush came over her. “Oh I see, that makes sense” Levy said with a nod. “Let’s try again then” Gajeel said, once again taking up his stance.

As the two practiced, Gajeel became increasingly aware of Levy’s top. Specifically how loose it was, as it kept slipping off her shoulder as she was dodging and swinging in response to his movements. He found himself getting more and more distracted, his eyes continuously roaming over her shoulder and the upper part of her now exposed gray sports bra. “Something the matter Gajeel?” Levy asked, her body relaxing from the stance as she looked at him. 

Gajeel met her eyes and realized he had been lost in his thoughts of her. “No, it’s just that i was thinking your top may be annoying you. It keeps falling” he mumbled. “Oh, yeah it is being a bit of a bother…” Levy trailed off. She hoped he didn’t think that she just threw something on, in actuality she didn’t really own athletic wear because she had no reason to, so most of her “workout clothes” was simply comfortable lounge clothing. “We could tie it” he suggested as he walked over to the kitchen and came back with a rubber band. Levy blushed at the thought and nodded. “Sure, we can give that a try. Do you mind?” she asked as she gathered the tank top in her hands and made a small knot behind her back above the small of her back. 

Gajeel walked around behind her and went to place the rubber band to hold the top tighter to her body. Gajeel froze for a moment as he walked around behind her. “You have a tattoo?” he asked without thinking. “Oh, yeah…” Levy said, a bit embarrassed. “It’s kinda lame, I know” she said as she waved her hand. Gajeel stared at the tattoo, small white fairy wings above her left shoulder blade that were barely noticeable due to the color. “It’s cute” he muttered as he placed the rubber band on the knot of clothing, his fingers brushing against hers, causing them both to blush unbeknownst to the other. “You never noticed it before at work?” Levy asked without facing him. 

Gajeel stood there and thought for a moment. How the hell had he not noticed? Looking at its position, her hair wouldn’t fully cover it being down so the fact that she wore it as a ponytail now didn’t make a difference. So what was he usually looking at? He looked her over from behind and mentally kicked himself as his eyes fixated on her ass and legs once again. “Motherfucker…” he muttered, causing Levy to turn around. “What’s wrong Gajeel? Are you alright?” she asked, concern in her eyes as she looked up at him. Gajeel’s face was beginning to turn red and his only hope was that their workout would help to mask it. “Yeah, I’m fine. I guess I was just looking at other stuff is all” he said, his hand instinctively wringing the back of his neck. “Oh, alright” Levy said, slightly disappointed that he hadn’t noticed because he didn’t look at her from behind. She felt sad for a brief moment, as she was used to not being “checked out” or ogled like Lucy was, but then she remembered what Lucy said this morning about the outfit showing off her assets. With a small boost of confidence, she decided to go for it. 

Clearing her throat and looking up at him innocently, she asked “what other stuff?”. Gajeel froze and looked back at her, some surprise on his face at what she had said. “I mean, y’know...just...stuff y’know? Around the fair…” he tried, knowing it was an awful excuse. “You’ve worked there for a year Gajeel, what could possibly catch your interest now?” she asked slyly. Gajeel glared at her. He knew what she was doing and it was working. She drove him insane but he loved it. He leaned in closer and crossed his arms. “A certain blue-haired worker. That suffice for an answer?” he asked. Levy blushed at his boldness but couldn’t help the smile that crept across her face. “For now” she said as she stepped back and got back into position. “Shall we continue?” she asked as if nothing had happened.

Gajeel looked her over, his eyes now glued to her exposed midriff rather than her shoulder.  _ This isn’t any fucking better _ he thought to himself as he got into position. “Sure shorty” he said as they started back again. “I’m not that short” Levy said with a huff of fake annoyance. “Ya are in my book” Gajeel challenged. “Yeah well...just cause I’m small doesn’t mean I’m weak!” Levy said, this time choosing to attack Gajeel, rather than letting him attack for her to react to. Gajeel blocked her swing with the back of his forearm, swiping upward on her forearm with the trainer before pushing her arm down and away from him and swiping back the other direction on the back of her bicep. Levy stumbled backwards from the force of her arm being pushed against her torso, but kept her footing as she looked up at him. 

“Never said you were” Gajeel whispered with a small smirk. Levy blushed as the two were now face to face, his hand on her forearm holding it against her. “Stupid Gajeel” she muttered, gaining a laugh from him as he released her. “Didn’t know you liked it rough” he said teasingly. Levy’s face lit up as she gawked at him. “I do not!” she shouted, causing Gajeel to only laugh harder. Levy crossed her arms over her chest and glared at him. “At least I can admit what I like” Levy muttered, causing Gajeel to freeze. Levy realized he had heard her and immediately regretted it. “What’s that supposed to mean?” he asked, his eyes looking at her cautiously. “It means I know what I like” Levy said quietly. “And ya think I don’t?” he asked, taking a step closer. Levy looked up at him, his eyes staring back at her. She could tell he wasn’t angry or mocking her. He seemed serious and genuine. 

“I just think you may have a hard time saying it” she said, letting her arms uncross. “Why say it when I can show it?” he replied, not missing a beat. Levy’s face turned pink as she looked up at him, wondering what exactly he meant by that. What did he want to show her? “Mew?” came a noise from their feet, breaking the tension between them. They both looked down to see a black cat staring up at them. “Oh my god he’s so cute!” Levy said as Gajeel muttered “God dammit Lily”. The cat sat down and looked up at them expectantly. “Must be dinner time” Gajeel said as he glanced at the clock. Sure enough it was 6 on the dot. 

Gajeel walked over to the kitchen and went about feeding the cat. “I guess we should probably eat too” he said as he reentered the living room. “Probably” Levy said with a hint of disappointment. “I was gonna make chicken and noodles, if that’s alright with you” Gajeel said without a second thought. “Oh, but you’ve already done so much for me today, I’d hate to be a bother” she said timidly. Gajeel shrugged and walked back into the kitchen. “Don’t worry about it. Just give me 20 minutes” he called as Levy stood there dumbfounded. “Wait a minute you can cook!?” she yelled as she ran into the kitchen. 

Gajeel stood there tying an apron around him as Levy erupted into a fit of laughter. “Hey! I don’t recall callin’ you in here!” he shouted. Levy clasped her hand over her mouth to contain her laughter but couldn’t help it when she got another look at the burly man before her donning an apron. “I’m sorry Gajeel, it’s just that i never expected…” she trailed off as he sighed. “Yeah well, I had to learn to cook for myself. It is what it is” he said as he got started. Levy could sense a bit of hurt in his voice. “I’m sorry for laughing Gajeel” she said, stepping a bit closer. Gajeel glanced at her and shrugged. “It’s not your fault shorty. Just still hold a grudge for having to learn to live on my own I suppose” he said. Levy looked at him in surprise. He wouldn’t look at her, but he was opening up some. “I’ll tell ya about it over dinner, how about that?” he asked, turning towards her. Levy nodded and gave him a small smile. “Sure Gajeel” she said as she walked over and sat at the table. Gajeel glanced over at her as she watched him. Normally he wouldn’t dare show this side of himself to anybody, but he felt that he could trust her.

As they ate, Gajeel told Levy about his family, or rather his lack thereof. He never knew his mother, and his father abandoned him the day he turned 18. Levy couldn’t help the pit that was growing in her stomach as he spoke. As much as Gajeel tried to hide it, she could tell he was hurt. “As much as I hate the bastard for leaving, it made me who I am” Gajeel said with a shrug. Levy shook her head at him. “I don’t think that’s true Gajeel. I think you would’ve been a great person either way. Don’t sell yourself short because of him okay?” she told him, her big eyes meeting his. Gajeel didn’t know what to say and simply nodded as he looked back at her. Her golden eyes were full of kindness and made her appear even more honest than he knew her to be. He thought back to earlier in the day when her eyes held a fire in them as she had teased him. She really could do it all. Gajeel sighed and gave a small smile. “Well I guess he wasn’t all bad. He helped me build my bike from the ground up. Bout the only good thing to come from him but still” he muttered. 

“Oh I didn’t know you had a motorcycle” Levy said, a bit of nervousness going through her. She didn’t feel particularly keen on riding one anytime soon, and knew Lucy would tease her about liking a “bad boy”. Gajeel simply nodded in response. “Well I’m sure that wasn’t the only good thing to come from him?” Levy tried, ever a beacon of hope. Gajeel couldn’t help but laugh a bit. “You didn’t know em like I did shorty” he said dismissively. “Well there has to be something. Even if it’s small” Levy said, tapping her chin with her finger. She could think of a bunch of things, but they all sounded silly to say, and Gajeel probably wouldn’t admit that anybody else taught him something like courage or kindness. She needed something more tangible. 

“How about your eyes?” she asked. “What about em?” Gajeel responded, looking at her curiously. “Well your eyes are red. Did you inherit that from one of your parents? I’ve never seen anything like it before” she said thoughtfully. “Yeah, that’s from the old man too. Caused me some grief over the years” Gajeel said with a sigh. “I like them” Levy said as she continued her meal. “Huh?” Gajeel replied, his fork freezing halfway to his mouth. “I said I like them” Levy said without a second thought. Gajeel stared at the girl in disbelief before continuing to eat. If only he could tell her the same thing.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey all, so from now on chapter updates will most likely stick to a weekly basis as I'm starting a new job. So expect updates every weekend! I hope you're enjoying!

Gajeel felt as if time was crawling at an unbelievably slow pace today. He had been busy all day since it was Saturday, one of the busiest days of the fair, but he couldn’t help but feel as if his break would never come. Normally he simply wanted to escape the onslaught of people and have a nice lunch, but he knew the reason today was crawling by was because he wanted to see Levy. After dinner the previous night she had left, leaving Gajeel alone with his thoughts and nothing else to do besides sort through them. He decided he wanted to ask her on an actual date, but he wasn’t sure how to. The only way he knew was to be direct. Though, it had yet to fail him, and Levy would probably prefer he stay true to himself. At least that’s what he told himself. Now he only needed to decide when to ask her.

* * *

Approaching the booth, Gajeel was annoyed to see it crowded with people. He took the only empty seat there was, almost directly in the middle of the booth. Both Cana and Levy were rushing back and forth, bringing drinks to different customers at the bar and handing them to others clustered around the booth, opting not to sit and to instead walk around the fair as they drank. Gajeel was in no rush, choosing to simply prop his head on his hand and wait for the booth to die down some. Unfortunately not everybody was willing to wait, as the man sitting beside Gajeel decided to voice.

“C’mon already it’s been like 10 minutes where’s my refill?” the man asked, leaning forward onto the counter. Gajeel watched him out of the corner of his eye, taking note that while he wasn’t drunk by any means, the man had certainly already had a few drinks. “Coming as fast as I can fill em” Cana called, not bothered by the man’s outburst at all. The man made a face, displeased at how nonchalant Cana had been. Turning to his right, he set his sights on Levy instead. “Alright, well how about you then? Can you get me my refill or are you too young to even handle the beer?” the man said with a laugh. 

Two loud slams shook the bar, followed by the simple phrase “watch yer mouth” which sounded as if it had an echo. The man looked in surprise as both Cana and Gajeel glared at him from opposite sides, both leaning in close with a hand flat on the bar from hitting it. The man looked down, seemingly embarrassed, and apologized quietly before leaving. “Asshole” Gajeel muttered as he turned back toward Cana. Cana sighed and rolled her eyes. “Ya can’t let them bother you Gajeel” she told him. “You’re one to talk, you did the same damn thing I did!” he said in disbelief. Cana gave him a grin and shrugged. “I can’t let people talk about my employees like that now can I?” she said as she looked over at Levy, who hadn’t heard the man’s comment at all, but was looking over due to the commotion of the bar being hit. “Yeah well, I don’t like people talking about my friends either” Gajeel muttered as Cana went back to work.

“Is everything alright?” Levy asked quietly as she walked over to Gajeel. “Everything’s fine shorty, don’t worry about it” he replied gruffly. “Oh, alright then, if you’re sure” she said, looking at him intently. “I’m sure” he told her. Levy nodded and tapped the bar with her hand. “Well I’ll be right back, just gotta finish up this customer first” she said as she returned to where she had come from. Glancing around Gajeel noticed that most customers of the booth had left, either from being served or maybe from being scared off by him and Cana. Either way it didn’t make a difference to him. His eyes fell back on Levy, where the customer in question was holding her hand in his. Gajeel glared at their hands and watched the man intently. He was young, probably around their age or a bit younger, with blonde hair and a face that made Gajeel’s stomach turn. One look at him made him feel as if he couldn’t trust him. He couldn’t hear what was being said, but as the man got up he lifted Levy’s hand to his mouth and kissed the back of it before turning to leave. Levy looked a bit shocked, but shook it off as she poured a drink from the wall and returned to Gajeel. 

“Sorry for the wait” Levy said as she placed the drink in front of him. Gajeel was still stuck staring at the man who had kissed Levy's hand, his figure now walking away from the booth. “Gajeel?” she asked, turning her head to the side a bit in confusion. “The hell was that about?” he asked her bluntly, his eyes piercing hers. Levy blinked back at him, her mouth slightly open. “What do you mean?” she asked, a tone of worry in her voice. “I mean why is some random person kissing your hand” he asked, unable to hide his annoyance. “Oh, that? It was nothing, he was just role playing the medieval aspect” Levy said, once again brushing it off. Gajeel simply grunted in response as he crossed his arms. Levy looked at him for a few seconds before understanding what was happening. “Do you have a problem with it Gajeel? I mean, it’s not like we’re dating or anything, I’m single after all” Levy said, trying to seem innocent as she leaned her elbows on the counter. Gajeel glared back at her, knowing he had lost. He stood up, letting out a sigh. “Fine. Monday. I’ll pick you up at 10” Gajeel said, grabbing his drink as he turned to walk away. Levy stared at him dumbfounded. She didn’t expect that to work.


	9. Chapter 9

Monday morning came bright and early, much to Levy’s annoyance. She had never been a morning person, but she had to keep reminding herself that today was worth it. She had a date after all. Though she did have to ask Cana for the day off, with the barmaid quickly guessing the reason behind the request, causing Levy to turn red. 

She sighed as she forced herself to get up and shuffle into the kitchen for breakfast. Lucy was already up, and eagerly awaiting Levy. As Levy began making her toast, Lucy poured a cup of coffee for her. “So…” Lucy began, eyeing her roommate. Levy grunted sleepily in response, already knowing where this was going. “Can’t it wait till I eat?” Levy mumbled as she got the butter out the fridge. “Fine, fine, have it your way”.

After her breakfast Levy sighed and walked back to her room. “Come on” she called, causing Lucy to skip after her happily. The blonde began digging through Levy’s closet, asking a thousand questions about where they were going. In truth, Levy knew nothing. Just that she was being picked up at 10, and it was currently 9. As the blonde rifled through, Levy gave her a pat on the back and went to shower. The only help she could give Lucy, who suggested one of her favorite orange dresses, was that he drove a motorcycle. Levy escaped to the bathroom as Lucy reeled about this piece of information.

Exiting the bathroom with her towel wrapped around her, Levy was surprised to see Lucy wasn’t in her room. Instead she saw an outfit laid out on the bed, consisting of light blue jean shorts that were worn out at the hem and an off the shoulder navy long sleeved blouse. Levy got herself dressed and looked in her mirror. Choosing to show off her tattoo since Gajeel said he liked it, she put her hair up into a loose bun. She walked into the living room and turned around for Lucy who smiled at her handiwork. “Perfect”.

* * *

Gajeel parked outside of the apartment and walked up to the door, running a hand through his hair to unmat it some. He knocked, causing Levy to jump slightly from her seat on the couch. Giving Lucy a last glance, she took a deep breath and stood up. Opening the door, she had to look up to greet the man waiting on the other side. 

“Hey Gajeel” Levy said with a warm smile. Gajeel kicked himself mentally for not being prepared to see her, as his quick once-over of her outfit left him short on words. He managed to mutter out a “Hey, ready to go?” to give himself time to regain his train of thought. Levy nodded and stepped outside, poking her head back in to say goodbye to Lucy before pulling the door closed and locking it. Lucy waved in response, doing her best to get a good look at Gajeel before the small gap in the door closed. Lucy let out a low whistle after she heard the keys turn, relaxing back into the couch and muttering “She’s gonna have her hands full with that one”.

Gajeel led the way to his bike, all the while Levy getting more nervous for the ride. Gajeel turned to her and asked if she’d rather sit in front or behind him, to which Levy could only stare. “Uhh...whichever is safer?” she tried sheepishly. Gajeel let out a laugh and handed her a helmet. “Here, you’ll need this. As for position, most people ride behind the driver, though you are small” he teased. Levy sighed and puffed out her cheeks at him. “I’m fun-sized” she muttered, causing Gajeel to laugh once again and smirk at her. “I can agree to that” he said, leaning against the bike. 

As Levy battled with herself on where to sit, Gajeel was free to look her over. Her slightly worried expression was cute to him, and her loose hair bun reminded him of their time together in his apartment. The blouse being off her shoulders also made Gajeel reminisce about that day, and he wondered if her tattoo was visible from behind. The part that really caught Gajeel’s attention however was her shorts, which hugged her hips and didn’t even make it to Levy’s mid-thigh. The worn material at the edge of them made Gajeel stare, focusing on the small amount of Levy’s legs he couldn’t see. He let out a small sigh, reminding himself to behave, but also making a mental note to check out her ass later. He glanced down at himself, in a simple black t-shirt and blue jeans, hoping he wasn’t underdressed. 

“I’m sorry, I know I’m taking a while, I’m just nervous and can't decide” Levy admitted after hearing Gajeel’s sigh. Gajeel waved his hand and gave her a small smile. “It’s alright, most people are scared of motorcycles anyways. You can ride in front if you want, I’ll take care of ya” he told her. Levy could tell that he was being serious, and nodded nervously as she put the helmet on and walked up to the bike. “Throw your leg over and I’ll get on behind you. Don’t need you kicking me in the face” he joked. She did as instructed, straddling the motorcycle. Gajeel got on behind her and was glad Levy couldn’t read minds, as all he could think about was her straddling him instead. He brought up the kickstand and held the weight of the bike, allowing Levy to get comfortable.

“Gajeel wait!” Levy suddenly said, twisting around to look at him. “What’s the matter?” he asked, concerned. Was she going to back out on the date just because he didn’t have a car? “I can’t be in front, then it’s like I’m driving” she told him. Gajeel stared at her blankly. “That supposed to mean somethin’?” he said with a gesture of his hand, signaling her to continue her explanation. “I don’t have a license!” she exclaimed, and though he couldn’t see her face, Gajeel knew that worry was painted all over it. “Alright alright, you’ll just have to hold on tight then” Gajeel told her, putting the kickstand back as they switched positions. 

Levy climbed onto the bike behind him, using his shoulders to keep her steady. “You’ll have to hang on better than that y'know” he said with a smirk that he was sad she couldn’t see. Levy blushed underneath her helmet as she wrapped her arms around his torso, a laugh coming from Gajeel. “Don’t worry, I’ll take care of ya” he said as he turned on the bike, the engine coming to life. Immediately Levy felt the rough vibration from the engine and didn’t understand how anybody could ride such a thing.

“Why’s it vibrating so much?” she called out over the engine. “Because you’re not fully on the seat” Gajeel replied, causing Levy to look down at the small gap in between them. “I don’t bite” he said with a laugh, the visor of his helmet up so Levy could see his eyes. She sighed as she scooted closer, now pressed up against him. “Better?” he asked, enjoying the feeling of her pressed up against him but doing his best to stay focused. Levy simply nodded in response, afraid to speak and embarrass herself any further. “Good. Hold on tight now” he said as he slowly pulled away from the apartment. 

* * *

“We’re here” Gajeel stated, parking the bike. Levy pulled her head away from Gajeel’s back, having opted to stay as close to him as possible during the ride for fear of falling off. She looked around her, unable to recognize the environment. She got off of the bike slowly and took the helmet off, now recognizing where she was without the shaded visor of the bike helmet obscuring her vision. “Oh!” she said in excitement.

Gajeel got off the bike and placed their helmets on the handlebars. “How was the ride?” he asked, slightly worried he scared her. Levy gave a nervous smile. “It was a bit scary, but honestly it wasn’t as bad as I thought. It feels really different being on a bike than in a car, what with the wind and all. Kinda like you’re flying almost” Levy said with a small laugh. Gajeel smiled at her, relieved she wasn’t scared senseless. 

“I do wanna ask though, why’d you choose here?” Levy asked curiously. Gajeel turned around and looked at the large building behind him. It was the national science museum. “Well, I figured you liked history, and I imagine there’s some cool stuff in there too, so” he said with a shrug. Levy gave him a smile, he had really given it thought and tried to pick a place she’d like. “Well let’s not waste any time then yeah?” she said walking passed him and then turning around to walk backwards while watching him. “C’mon slowpoke!” she called playfully as she turned back around to hide the slight blush on her cheeks.

“Yeah yeah, I’m coming” he called back, walking after her with his hands tucked in his pockets. He watched her hair bounce as she walked in front of him, a smile coming across his face. He just liked being around her, it made him feel happier in general. He didn’t want to admit it, but he was falling harder than he thought. He felt himself blush thinking about how she affected him, he wasn’t normally phased by a pretty face, but something about Levy left him at a loss for words and a desire to be around her. 

As Levy walked in front of Gajeel, she too was in thought. She was thinking about how Gajeel was going out of his way to be nice to her, and had even been thoughtful as well. She was learning more about him as time went on, and it seemed that her initial impression was correct. He had a soft spot for those that he cared about, and she was becoming one of those people, if not already. She smiled to herself and locked her fingers behind her back. She enjoyed spending time with him, he was unique and as much as he tried to hide it, kind. Plus he spoke his mind, something most people won’t do. Most people would lie to her to preserve her feelings, but she had a feeling Gajeel would be honest with her while still taking how she felt into account. Levy’s mind drifted to Gajeel’s physical appearance, and a red blush came over her face. She knew she was attracted to him, and quickly waved the thoughts away.

Gajeel noticed Levy put her hands behind her back, linking them in front of her ass, drawing his attention there. He couldn’t help but constantly admire her backside, he always did prefer a nice ass over a large chest. And Levy had one of the nicest he had ever seen. The shorts she was wearing weren't giving him any help either. They were definitely doing her ass justice, as Gajeel was finding their short length tempting, staring at the frayed hem. He bit his lip to avoid saying anything as they approached the entrance.

Once inside the museum, the two wandered around, taking in everything it had to offer. There was a nature section, containing models and giant versions of insects, as well as a few live ones, which neither enjoyed. Levy shuddered looking at a tank of beetles, while Gajeel gave her a sideways glance with an uneasy face, causing them both to crack a smile and promptly leave, opting to investigate the wildlife portion that focused on animals instead. Both here and in the space section the conversation consisted mostly of fun facts from Levy or one of the pair expressing their amazement. Gajeel was having a fun time listening to her little bits of knowledge and seeing how excited she got to share it, he couldn’t help but think about how cute she was when her face lit up. That is until they reached the dinosaur section, and it was Gajeel’s turn.

Staring up at a T-Rex skeleton, Gajeel couldn’t help but crack a smile. Levy noticed and watched him for a few moments before finally asking. “What is it Gajeel?” she asked, genuinely curious at why he seemed so happy with the creature before him. “I’ve just always thought dinosaurs were cool y'know? It’s amazing that they existed, I mean look at ‘em” he said, turning to her. Levy understood what he meant, it was difficult to believe without seeing the evidence before her. She nodded, which gave him enough to continue. “It makes me wonder, what else could’ve been out there? I mean if this existed, why not a dragon y'know?” Gajeel said with a shrug. Levy laughed and couldn’t help but grin at him. “You have a point Gajeel. That would be an amazing discovery, maybe one day they’ll be a real part of history” she replied as she began to look at other skeletons. 

Gajeel walked up behind her and leaned down so only she could hear him. She didn’t jump as she heard him approaching, his boots thudding loudly against the stone floors. “I don’t know if dragons are real, but I know fairy’s are” he whispered next to her ear. Levy whipped around to look at him, her face burning red. Gajeel was still leaning down, his face a few inches from hers, a smirk plastered across it. “Well you better watch yourself then, maybe I know magic!” she countered, causing Gajeel to laugh and return to his full height. “Yeah yeah shorty, whatever you say” he replied, turning his attention back to the exhibit. The smirk was still on his face, with Levy’s face now fading to a pink tint. In their own way, they were having more fun than anybody could imagine.

After exploring the rest of the exhibit, they decided to find something to eat. Gajeel suggested a food truck in the park across from the museum, telling Levy that the food was incredible. “Sure Gajeel, that sounds good to me” Levy replied with a nod. Levy couldn’t help but smile, she enjoyed spending time with Gajeel, regardless of what they were doing. She never was one to need a big fancy date or anything like that, but she really was enjoying herself and was glad that Gajeel wasn’t trying to do anything over the top or spectacular. Instead he was trying to show her a good time using things he knew she liked, and also exposing her to things that he liked. Levy looked up at him as he led the way. He wore an expression similar to the one he always wore, but he seemed content. Levy smiled to herself and decided she’d plan the second date.


	10. Chapter 10

The two walked through the park, arriving at a crowded food truck. The line stretched back at least 10 people already, with them bringing up the rear. 

“Do you know what you want?” Gajeel asked, turning towards her. Levy looked at the truck in the distance, unable to even see the menu through the crowd of people, not to mention how far away they were. “Not yet, I can’t see the menu from here but I should be able to when we get closer. What about you?” she said, coming back down from standing on her tip-toes to try and see. “The usual” he replied with a shrug. Levy let out a small laugh, causing Gajeel to raise and eyebrow at her. “Do you have a usual everywhere you go?” she asked. Gajeel broke into a grin. “Yeah, cause I find the best thing and I stick with it. And that goes for everything” he said, turning back toward the menu and shuffling forward in line. Levy's face turned a bright pink as she stepped forward with him. Was he implying what she thought he was?

As they moved forward in line, Levy kept trying to stand on her tip-toes to see over the people in front of her, leaning left and right. “Do you need some help shorty?” Gajeel asked. Levy turned to him, expecting a smirk to be plastered on his face, but none was there. It was a genuine question. He wasn’t laughing at her or poking fun, he was actually asking! Levy stared at him in amazement for a second, with a bit of annoyance at her own height swirling around her mind. She also noticed he was taking to that nickname fondly, but at least this time he didn’t say it with any teasing behind it. Levy hung her head sheepishly and muttered “would you mind picking me up…?”.

Gajeel’s face went red, now staring at the top of Levy's head. He was just going to read the menu to her, he didn’t mean it like this!  _ God fuck… _ he thought to himself as she looked back up at him. “Y-yeah, sure” he mumbled, his hand once again nervously going to his neck. “Just grab me by my waist and lift me, I don’t weigh much” Levy said shyly as she stood in front of him facing the food truck. Gajeel swallowed the lump in his throat and stared down at her, his eyes focusing on her hips and ass.  _ Don’t do something you’re gonna regret!  _ a voice in his head told him.

Gajeel reached down and gently placed his hands on her hips, then held them more firmly. “Ready?” he asked quietly, his face still red.  _ At least she can’t see my face _ he thought. She nodded, and with that Gajeel lifted her up just above the crowd, her hands instinctively holding onto his as if to steady herself. While Levy was reading the menu, more embarrassed of being in the situation because of her height, Gajeel was slowly realizing he was in trouble. 

He was holding her hips in his hands, and doing his best to only do that. He wanted to squeeze them, to dig his nails into her and to feel her more in his hands, but for now he had to resist. She felt small and delicate in his hands, especially due to how easily he lifted her, but he had a feeling she could take anything he could dish out. He shook his head, trying to rid himself of these thoughts. This only served to give him a whiff of her scent, which smelled sweet to him and almost intoxicating. He couldn’t figure if she smelled like flowers, honey, old books, or some strange combination of them all. He stared at the tattoo on her back and let out a sigh, inadvertently blowing on her back. Levy felt this and couldn’t help but shiver, goosebumps rising on her arms and a slight pink blush coming across her face.  _ Would he do that in a more intimate setting?  _ she thought to herself before pushing the thought away, telling herself it wasn’t the time to think about that.

Levy tapped on Gajeel’s hand, signaling that he could put her down. He put her back on the ground, her hands lingering on his for a moment before they both pulled away. Gajeel couldn’t help but immediately miss their warmth, and they’re soft touch compared to his own rough hands. Levy also missed his hands, as feeling his large hands handle her so gently made her wish for more. “So uh...y’know what you want then?” he asked with a slight blush, looking away to avoid her eyes. Levy nodded and gave him a small smile. “I think so yeah” she said as they moved forward, now next in line.

They ordered and found an open picnic table to sit at, Levy realizing that Gajeel knew good food. “So do all the places you eat at taste this good?” she asked with a small laugh. “Well it’s gotta be something as good as what I can make myself or better y’know? Otherwise I’d just make it myself” he replied. “That makes sense, I wish I could cook” she said, a bit embarrassed. “I wouldn’t worry about it too much, you’re pretty great as is” he said, his eyes going wide realizing what he said. Levy blushed slightly and looked down shyly. “Thank you Gajeel, that’s very kind of you”. Gajeel looked away and muttered under his breath. “Yeah yeah…” he said, attempting to hide his embarrassment. He didn’t normally share his feelings with people but something about Levy made it feel natural, like he didn’t have to hide anything.

“Would you like to walk around the park?” Levy asked as they finished their food. Gajeel grunted in response, standing up. The two began walking around the sidewalk that encompassed the park, passing by kids on the playground, people walking with strollers, and other couples eating icecream. Gajeel noticed that the other couples were all holding hands, which caused him to think about taking Levy’s hand as they walked.  _ Should he grab her hand? Or is that too far?  _ Levy also noticed the different couples holding hands, and glanced at Gajeel’s. He seemed to be taking things at a slow pace. Levy smiled to herself. As much of a big tough guy as he seemed, he was being very respectful of her and letting her set the pace for what she was comfortable with.

Levy looked forward again and gently placed her hand in his, lacing their fingers together. Gajeel looked down in shock, but didn’t say anything. “Is...this ok?” Levy asked, her face a light shade of pink. “Yeah, it’s fine” Gajeel muttered. Her hand felt so small and delicate in his, it made him feel like he wanted to protect her. Levy noted the rough feeling of Gajeel’s hand, but how gently he was holding hers, almost as if he was afraid to hurt her. She giggled slightly as they continued their walk. 

* * *

On the ride back to her apartment, Levy rested her head on Gajeel’s back and looked around at the city. Her fear of the motorcycle ride was dissipating, and this time she was able to appreciate the different view she was getting.

Getting back to her apartment, Levy removed her helmet and handed it to Gajeel with a small giggle. “What is it?” he asked, curious. “Nothing, just enjoyed the ride is all” she said with a smile. Gajeel smiled and put the helmets on the bike. “Well I’m glad you enjoyed it. Sure didn’t mind holding on tight didja?” he asked with a small smirk. “Oh shutup! I didn’t wanna fall y’know!” she said as she turned and started walking to her door. Gajeel followed her, slightly disappointed he couldn’t admire her body in the dark.

Levy turned around at the door to face Gajeel. “Well thank you for today Gajeel, it was a nice date” Levy said, becoming slightly nervous. “Sure shorty. I had fun” he replied with a smile. The two stared at each other for a moment, unsure of what to do next. Gajeel wanted to kiss her, but he didn’t know if she wanted to kiss him. He didn’t want to force the issue, but her lips looked so soft in the moonlight. And the way her eyes shined up at him only tempted him more. “So uh...I’ll see you at work yeah?” Levy said, looking up at him hopefully. He didn’t know whether she was hoping for a second date or for a kiss, but he figured fuck it. He leaned down and gently placed his lips on hers, pulling away after a brief moment. “Yeah” Gajeel replied bluntly, a slight smirk teasing his lips. Levy blushed red as Gajeel turned and walked away, Levy waving as he pulled off into the night.


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey all, sorry for uploading a day late! Don't worry I didn't forget about ya!

Gajeel smiled under his helmet as he drove back to his apartment. He couldn’t help but think about Levy, and that he had finally kissed her. He had been waiting to, not wanting to be too forward. Now that he finally had though, he wanted more. The brief kiss gave him a slight taste, and he had a feeling he could get addicted if he wasn’t careful.

* * *

Levy locked the door behind her and stood there for a moment, the pink blush still on her cheeks. She licked her lips, the feeling of Gajeel’s on hers long gone. As she turned around Lucy popped her head into her vision from the kitchen. “Soooo how’d it goooo?” she called in a singsong voice. 

Levy couldn’t hide the small smile that teased the corners of her mouth. “Well...it was nice…” Levy said, looking away shyly as she let her hair down. The two met on the couch and once again went over the details of Levy's day, Lucy always was one for gossip afterall. “And I couldn’t see at the food truck of course..so he picked me up by my hips” Levy said with a blush. “Oooh girl...you know he liked that” Levy said with a smirk. “Oh shutup!!” Levy yelled, her face turning red. Lucy simply laughed as the other girl hid her face in her hands. 

“You think so though?” Levy said quietly, looking up at Lucy. “Pssh, duh. You like to forget that all your clothing shows off your lower half huh?” the blonde replied, raising an eyebrow at Levy. She sighed as her embarrassment only grew. “Yeah yeah I know. But still. He did let me hold his hand though” Levy said with a small smile. “Aww cute!” Lucy cooed, causing Levy to wave her hand at her. “But that’s not the best part though!” Levy said, becoming excited. “Well go on!” Lucy said leaning forward. “He kissed me at the door!” she said, causing Lucy to erupt into squeals. 

* * *

Gajeel entered his apartment and took a deep breath as he sat down on the couch. A small noise to his side alerted him to his cat joining him, with Gajeel absentmindedly reaching out to scratch Lily’s head. “Hey Lil” he mumbled, still lost in his thoughts. “Mew?” came a noise in response, which launched Gajeel into a full conversation with his feline friend. 

“Hm? Yeah, it was a good date. I think she enjoyed it” he said, turning towards the cat. “I hope she didn’t mind me picking her up though at the truck..she might’ve felt embarrassed about it. Not that I minded, she doesn’t weigh a thing. God I wanted to squeeze her hips though…” Gajeel said, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Mew!” Lily replied in defiance of Gajeel's hand leaving. “I didn’t though!” Gajeel yelled in exasperation. “I can control myself y’know. For now at least. She’s making it damn hard” he mumbled, his thoughts returning to the kiss. “Small but sweet” he muttered, a slight smile on his lips.

* * *

“I think I wanna plan the second date, though I’m not quite sure what he’d enjoy…” Levy said, putting a finger to her chin. “I imagine anything as long as you're there” Lucy said, raising her eyebrow playfully. Levy threw a pillow at her and laughed. “Luce! I need help here!” she said between giggles.

“Well a movie is out, there’s no talking there” Lucy said. Levy agreed with a nod and hummed to herself as she thought. “We’ve already done dinner kinda” she mumbled, this time causing Lucy to nod. “What about something kinda fun and silly? Like mini golf or something?” Lucy asked. Levy’s face lit up as she leaned forward in excitement. “Hey! There’s that arcade! I bet Gajeel would love to play arcade games, he seems like the competitive type” Levy said with a small laugh. “Looks like you’ve got yourself a date” Lucy said with a smile. “I wonder if I can mess with him some…see how he takes losing to a girl” Levy said with a devious smirk.


	12. Chapter 12

The day after their date, Levy decided to do some digging. “Hey Cana? How long have you known Gajeel anyways?” Levy asked innocently. Cana pauses for a moment in thought. “Pfft I dunno, been awhile” she said with a shrug. Levy sighed internally. Maybe Cana wouldn’t be any help after all. 

“Is he competitive? He seems the type” Levy offered, hoping for something. “Oh yeah! Challenged me to a drinking contest more times than I can count! Or than either of us can remember…” Cana trailed off. “And how did that go?” she asked, now curious. “He lost of course! Though barely, I’ll give him that. That’s the reason we became friends though, it’s almost like he respected it in a weird way. Deemed me worthy or something” Cana said with a laugh.

Levy smiles to herself and shook her head. Gajeel was a weird one but it was almost endearing. “Why do you wanna know anyways? You plan on challenging him to something? I wouldn’t recommend drinking little miss fairy” Cana said, giving Levy a nudge with her elbow. “I’m not that small!” Levy replied, a pink blush creeping over her face as she imagined Gajeel calling her that, her mind going back to the museum. “I was just curious is all. And I’m trying to plan a date for us” Levy told her as she glanced around the bar. It was still early in the morning, so business was slow. Nobody was currently there. 

“Say, Cana...has Gajeel been with a lot of other girls?” Levy asked nervously. “That idiot? Please, he scares most people off before they can even speak to him” she replied with a wave of her hand. “I guess his appearance can be a bit...off-putting” Levy said with a small laugh. Cana nodded as she tidied up the bar. “I can’t say he’s never been with anybody, but I’ve never seen him in a serious relationship personally, so take that as you will” she stated, causing Levy’s heart to jump. What classified as serious to Cana? To Gajeel? Levy wrestled with the thoughts for a moment before sighing and giving up. She didn’t want to overthink things, she just wanted to let them happen.

* * *

Gajeel approached the empty bar, eyeing Levy leaning on the counter, a bored expression on her face. “Business is uh..booming I see” Gajeel said as he sat down. Levy rolled her eyes at him and gave a small smile. “It’s a Tuesday so, not super busy” she replied. “Or just not busy!” Cana called from the other side of the bar. Gajeel gave a small laugh as he brought out his lunch. “The usual?” Levy asked, raising her eyebrow. Gajeel glanced over at Cana, who was walking into the back room. “Either that or a kiss, your choice” he said, a small smirk on his face. Levy blushed slightly as she glared at him. “What, last I recall the score is 1-0 innit?” he teased. 

Levy sighed as she turned around to get his drink. “Stupid Gajeel…” she muttered to herself, eliciting a laugh from him. As the drink filled, Levy got an idea. Turning back towards him, she took a sip from the drink and licked her lips before handing it to him. Gajeel froze as he watched her. “What was that?” he asked, his eyes fixed on her. “Just wanted to taste it is all. Since you seem to like it so much” she replied with a small shrug. Gajeel gave a small grunt in response, not giving it any more thought. The two talked for the rest of Gajeel’s lunch, and made plans for their second date on Thursday. “This time I’ll pick you up, I wanna keep it secret like you did” Levy said with a smile. Gajeel couldn’t help but smile in return, and nodded. 

The two waved goodbye, but Cana caught Gajeel’s attention as Levy turned to go into the back room. “What?” he asked as he walked over. Cana gave him a toothy grin and nodded at his glass. Gajeel glanced at it and then back to Cana. “What?” he repeated, exasperated. “When didja start wearing makeup?” Cana teased, causing Gajeel to look back at the glass. He saw two small pink lips on the rim, from where he had been drinking. He remembered Levy taking a sip from his drink, and realized now why she had done it. She had indirectly given him a kiss. “Son of a bitch…” he muttered.


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey all, sorry for the late upload, got busy with some stuff. Hope you like it!

Levy stepped out of the bathroom Thursday morning, her towel still wrapped around her. She grabbed her favorite dress out of her closet, a light orange one with white accents, and tossed it onto the bed. “I don’t need Lucy’s help  _ every  _ time” she mumbled to herself as she got dressed. The dress stopped at her mid thigh, and Levy gave a small twirl in the mirror. She tied a headband of the same color on to keep her hair out of her eyes and gave herself a small smile as she exited her room. 

“Ol reliable?” Lucy asked as Levy walked by. “Oh hush, you know I love this dress” she replied. “I know I know, just teasing” Lucy replied as Levy grabbed her keys. “Should I wait up?” Lucy asked, causing Levy’s face to turn bright red. “Shutup!” she yelled as the blonde erupted in laughter. “I’ll be back at a reasonable hour..probably” Levy muttered under her breath. When Lucy’s laughter finally ended she wished her friend good luck, and sent her on her way.

* * *

Gajeel sat on his couch, absentmindedly petting Lily. He was waiting on Levy, who was insistent on picking him up and driving this time. Lily moved to sit in his lap but Gajeel stopped him. “Oh no, you’re not getting cat hair all over me” he said as he blocked the cat's path with his hand. The cat looked up at him and seemed to sigh as he turned around and laid back down on the couch. Gajeel looked down at his black jeans and shook his head. No way was he getting cat hair all over him. He glanced down at the tank top he was wearing, it was a long loose white tank top with a design of an owl face on the front and a wing on each side. It was from one of his favorite bands, with the design appearing as if it was made from twisted metal. It was completely different than the previous tank top she had seen him in, as the last one was skin tight. This one hung loosely on his body, and revealed his sides. 

A knock on the door drug him out of his thoughts. He already knew who it was, immediately turning his gaze downward upon opening the door. “Hey shorty” he said with a grin. Levy sighed as she put her hands on her hips. “We don’t have to go on this date y'know” she quipped, only widening Gajeel’s grin. Lily walked over to the door and Levy knelt down to pet him. “At least one sweet boy lives here” Levy said as the cat began to purr. Gajeel grumbled as he turned to put his boots on. As he leaned forward on the couch, Levy noticed how loose his shirt was. It gave her full view of his upper body and whether it was intentional or not she enjoyed it. “Alright, I’m ready. Lily, you watch the place while I’m gone” Gajeel said, the cat meowing in reply. 

The duo entered the four-door, Gajeel’s legs cramped up against him. “Uh..how do I..?” he trailed off as Levy waved her hand. “On the right side” she said, already knowing the question. Gajeel moved the seat back and sighed in relief. “Didn’t know your car was designed just for you” he teased as he buckled in. Levy shot him a sideways glare as she started the car. “Don’t make me put you in the backseat” she retorted, causing Gajeel to grin.

* * *

As they pulled into the parking lot, Gajeel recognized the old building. “The arcade huh? What, you wanna try and beat me in something?” Gajeel teased with a smirk. Levy parked the car and shrugged. “We’ll see how long that confidence lasts” she said, exiting the car. A brief expression of shock went over Gajeel’s face as he watched her get out of the car, followed by a grin. This girl had a fire in her and he loved every bit of it.

The two entered the arcade and got some tokens, with Gajeel immediately pointing out a corner and moving towards it. Levy followed out of curiosity. “What is it?” she asked as Gajeel stopped in front of a machine. “Punching machine” Gajeel stated matter of factly. Levy sighed and raised her eyebrows at him. “The first thing you wanna do is punch something?” she said with a small giggle. Gajeel shrugged and looked at the machine. “I dunno, I just always started here when I used to come as a teenager, y’know?” he said, taking a coin. “Guess I was angrier back then though” he said with a small laugh. Levy waved her hand and stepped back. “Alright alright, punch the damn thing good then” she said, waiting to watch the show.

Gajeel put the coin in and stepped back as the bag dropped. Levy raised an eyebrow watching him, as overall it looked kinda silly. She watched his right bicep flex as he made a fist and punched the bag, making it snap back into the machine in the blink of an eye. Levy's eyes went wide for a second, not expecting it to be so quick or so loud. Gajeel had a small smirk on his face as he looked at the number while levy walked over, still eyeing his large bicep. “Is that good?” she asked, looking at the number. Gajeel shrugged and looked at her. “Could be better. Record’s always been 999, I got 840. Though you never know with these things if that’s the actual record or if it came like that” Gajeel said. Levy thought about this for a moment and agreed, but decided to take the opportunity to mess with him anyways.

“What, think nobody can get 999 just cause you can’t big man?” she teased, poking him in the chest. Gajeel looked at her and faked a scowl. “Oh yeah? Let’s see what you’ve got then” he said, stepping back. “Wha?” Levy said, her plan backfiring. “Ya heard me. Let’s see what you’ve got” Gajeel said, crossing his arms as he leaned against the wall, a devious grin on his face. He knew he had trapped her. “Fine then” she replied, not willing to back down when it came to Gajeel. Something about his smug look just made her want to challenge him, but it was all in good fun. She put the coin in and looked up at the bag. With all her might she reared back and punched it, though she could already tell it wasn’t nearly as hard as Gajeel. 

Gajeel walked back over chuckling slightly. “Aw man” Levy said, fake sulking. Gajeel laughed and put his hand on her shoulder. “Nice try shortstack” he said as he looked at the number. Levy shot him a glare and smacked his stomach with the back of her hand. “Shutup. 520 isn’t that bad..” she said, grumbling. Gajeel grinned and glanced around. “So what do you wanna try to beat me at next?” he asked. Levy looked at him and couldn’t resist. “Skee-ball”.

“Alright then” Gajeel said with a nod as they walked through the arcade. The two slotted their coins at adjacent machines and pressed Start, the balls rolling out to them. Gajeel glanced over at Levy, who was looking forward with her tongue stuck partially out of the side of her mouth. He stared for a moment before looking away, beginning to distract himself with thoughts of how cute she looked. Levy noticed him looking, and turned to look at him. Now he was looking forward, attempting to concentrate, his shirt hanging off of him just like at the apartment. Levy let her eyes wander over the sides of his torso, noting how fit he was. He wasn’t a bodybuilder or anything, but he took good care of himself, that was for sure. A blush crept over her cheeks as she looked forward again.

The two rolled the balls down the track and up the ramp, sinking them into the holes. Gajeel reached down and grabbed air, and realized he was out of balls. He looked at the score, 25,000. He nodded to himself. Not bad, he wasn’t the best at skee-ball so he was proud of that one. He looked over at Levy as she rolled her last ball, sinking it into the 3,000 hole. She smiled at her score and looked at him. Gajeel glanced at it and audibly made a noise. “Huh?” he said as he read it. “How the hell did you get 36,000?” he asked, staring in disbelief. Levy giggled and shrugged. “Guess I’m just good” she said. 

Gajeel narrowed his eyes at her and grabbed another coin. “Again” he muttered. Levy laughed and obliged. “Sure” she said. The two played again, but the outcome was the same, despite this time Gajeel taking his time. As if he was psyching himself out he threw a few balls off, missing the holes completely, netting him a score of 23,000 this time. He grumbled in annoyance as he glanced over at Levy’s score, seeing it was 35,000 this time. He looked at her, standing there with one hand on her hip and an eyebrow raised, a slight smile tugging at her lips. “Oh Gajeel, and I even got 1,000 less to try and let you win” she said with a fake pouty face. Gajeel sighed as he looked at her. She was being damn cute but he was annoyed with himself for losing at the same time. 

“Let me watch” he told her. Levy laughed and grabbed another coin. “Sure, try and learn something yeah?” she teased. Gajeel grunted and crossed his arms as he watched her. Once again her tongue stuck out as she picked up the first ball. Time after time she rolled it up the ramp and into either the 5,000 or 3,000 hole, only missing one ball completely. Gajeel couldn’t believe it, he couldn’t make it into the 5,000 holes in the corner to save his life. Levy turned to him with a smile. “Well?” she said brightly. Gajeel sighed as he dropped his arms from across his chest. “Alright shorty, you win this one” he said. Levy laughed and patted his arm. “Oh don’t be so sad, wanna know my secret?” she asked. 

Gajeel gave her a weird look as he studied her face. “What secret?” he asked curiously. “To the game. My secret technique to winning” she said, looking back at him. Her face gave no signs of deceit, she looked genuine to Gajeel. Of course she always did, her big brown eyes always made her look innocent to him. “Alright then, what is it?” he asked, unable to resist. “Well it’s a secret dummy” she said, motioning with her hand for him to come closer. He did as instructed and leaned down towards her. Levy leaned up and kissed him on the cheek and giggled. “There’s no secret, I’m just better” she said as she laughed. Gajeel’s face turned red as he stared at her, his eyes slightly wide. A grin came over his face as he realized she tricked him. “Alright shorty, I see what game we're playing”.


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey all, sorry for missing an upload last week. I may need to switch this to an every other week upload, with work and the holiday season keeping me busy. I'll still try and upload weekly if I can though! Either way this story will continue to be updated and once again thanks for all the support!

Gajeel nodded with his head, indicating for Levy to follow him. She did so contently, amused that her little trick had worked. They walked through the arcade, arriving at a long table. “Air hockey?” Levy asked, giving him a look. “You won skee-ball, now it’s my turn” he said as he slotted the coins and the table came to life. Levy sighed and shook her head as she stood at the other end, though she couldn’t hide the smile on her face.

She grabbed the striker, mirroring Gajeel as he put the puck on the table. “Ready?” he asked. “Always!” Levy replied. Gajeel nodded and hit the puck, with it bouncing off of both walls and sliding diagonally into her goal. Levy blinked and looked down as the score changed to 1-0. “Wha..” she started as Gajeel began to laugh. “I told ya, it’s my turn now” he said. 

As the two played, it was clear that she was no match for him. While she carefully tried to place her shots, Gajeel seemed to slam the puck around the table in such and erratic manner that she couldn’t keep up, but somehow it always ended up in her goal. After 3 games, she had yet to beat him. The closest she got was 4-7 and she was sure he was going easy that time.

It didn’t help that Gajeel was leaning forward over the table, and as much as Levy hated to admit it, she couldn’t help but picture him leaning over her instead. The thoughts clouded her mind as they played, but she didn’t much care as she was sure she couldn’t win anyways. She was used to looking up at Gajeel, but that was while standing. Looking up at him while he leaned over her? That was a new view she had yet to experience, and one she didn’t know she wanted until now. 

“Well I guess you’ve taken the lead now” Levy said as they finished the third game. “Huh? What do you mean?” he asked. “Well you won the punch thing and air hockey, I only one skee-ball. So it’s 2-1” she explained. Gajeel shook his head. “Nah, the punch thing doesn’t count. 1-1. We need a tiebreaker” he said, looking around. Levy nodded and began to look around as well. “And no tricks this time, nothing you’re secretly good at” he grumbled. Levy couldn’t help but smile. “That goes for you too” she said, poking him in the chest. “I wasn’t secretive about being good at it, now was I?” he said, leaning down to her level, his hands in his pockets. 

Levy blushed slightly as she looked at him, her thoughts during the air hockey game returning to her. “Well, no...” she said as she looked back at him. Gajeel flashed her a toothy smirk and stood back up. “That’s what I thought. C’mon, let’s find something” he said as they once again began to walk around the arcade. “Stupid Gajeel..” Levy muttered, causing Gajeel to smile as he led the way. He found it funny that she thought he couldn’t hear her when she did that.

They passed by many other games, such as the claw machine, something about stopping a light on the right spot, and one where you stack boxes on a screen up to the top. Gajeel kept shaking his head. “Those’re all luck ones. We can play em, but they don’t count towards the contest” Gajeel quipped. “That’s fair. Well let’s finish our little competition first then” Levy said as they continued to look around. “How ‘bout that?” Gajeel asked, pointing.

Levy turned to the direction in question and walked towards the arcade cabinet. It was an old fighting game, with more buttons than she could make sense of. As Levy looked over the machine, Gajeel let his eyes perform a once over of her. He enjoyed looking at her when she wasn’t paying attention, just so he could admire her without being caught. He let his eyes glide from her head all the way down, taking a deep breath involuntarily as he stepped closer. 

“So whaddya think?” he asked. “Well...I’m certainly not secretly good at this...I don’t even know what half these buttons do. What’s HP, HK, LP...all this” she said, waving her hands over the buttons. “Probably high punch and kick, and then low punch and kick” Gajeel said as he pointed at them. “Ohh that makes sense” Levy said as she stuck her tongue out slightly, studying the buttons. “Okay, let's give it a go then” she said, determined. 

The two chose their characters and the fight began. While the first round had both of them trying to figure out what each button did and what their character could do, only one of them stuck to that strategy. Gajeel won the first round that way, and was attempting to stick to using specific attacks and moves, while Levy quickly abandoned that and simply started hitting every button she could as fast as she could, sending a flurry of attacks at Gajeel. This narrowly let her win round 2, with Gajeel sending a sideways glare her way. He couldn’t believe he lost that round when she was just hitting every button without any rhyme or reason! 

The third round was more of the same, with Gajeel being overwhelmed by Levy’s confusing and neverending onslaught. “I won!” Levy said happily, doing a little jump. Gajeel scowled and mumbled under his breath. “Yeah by mashing every damn button…” Levy paused for a moment. She could tell that he was annoyed, but then again she did already expect him to be a sore loser. But the question was whether he would let this ruin the day, or if her charm was stronger than his temper. 

“Aw c’mon Gajeel, I won fair and square” she teased. Gajeel sighed and crossed his arms. “Yeah yeah” he muttered. Levy couldn’t help but laugh at the large pouting man. “So, do I get my prize now?” she asked, rocking back and forth on her heels. “Whaddya want?” Gajeel asked, meeting her eyes. “Hmmmm…” Levy hummed time herself as she thought. She pretended to look upwards at the ceiling in thought, to try and look cute. This of course worked, causing Gajeel’s heart to beat a bit faster. Without a word Levy looked back at him and tapped her lips with her index finger. Gajeel’s face slowly turned red at the request and he sighed before leaning down and giving her a kiss, holding it for a couple seconds. 

Both of them were now blushing, with Gajeel looking away and Levy giggling slightly. “Thank you Gajeel” she said quietly. Gajeel grunted in response, a quick “sure shorty” as he refused to look at her. Levy found it amusing how easily she could make him embarrassed, and gently reached out and took his hand in hers. “C’mon, let's use the rest of these tokens!”


	15. Chapter 15

The next week saw the two of them exchanging glances and a few brief kisses on the cheek at work, mostly by Levy of course. Gajeel was never one for public displays of affection, and found it embarrassing to do so. He preferred to show his affection in private, and felt that it didn’t matter if anybody else knew how much he cared about his partner, as long as they knew. Speaking of...were they officially dating now? Gajeel had no idea, as neither of them had officially said anything, but they were certainly acting like it. They were heading to a movie this evening, with Levy offering to drive as she didn’t want to ride on the motorcycle at night. Something about being afraid of not being seen in the dark.

Gajeel understood, and allowed her to drive, despite wanting to himself. Getting into the car, he raised an eyebrow at her, realizing they were dressed similarly. They were both wearing blue jeans and a dark t-shirt, though Levy’s jeans were a light blue and Gajeel’s were dark. Levy stifled a laugh with her hand as she looked at him, realizing that he had chosen to tie a headband around his head tonight, yet another matching feature. “At least they’re different colors?” Levy tried, as her headband was a simple black one that matched her shirt, while Gajeel’s was red with white and black zig-zags on it. It was essentially the only color he was wearing, as his shirt was partially faded and was black and white anyways. 

Gajeel cracked a small smile as he buckled in. “Guess I can’t be mad at you for copying me, I know I look good” he teased. Levy decided to play along as she backed away from Gajeel’s apartment. “Oh really? I believe I was the one wearing the headband first” she countered. “Hey I’ve had this thing for years!” he said. “But I’ve never seen it. Plus don’t I look good too Gajeel?” Levy asked innocently, the dark night hiding her blushing cheeks. As much as she tried to tease Gajeel back she could never stop the blush that arose, but thankfully the night saved her this time. “...’course ya do…” she heard him mumble. 

Levy turned and looked at Gajeel, who was looking at her intently. Levy's eyes went wide for a moment before looking back to the road. “I was just messing with you, ya big lug” Levy said laughing a little. “I know, but maybe I should say stuff more” Gajeel said, beginning to wonder if he should show his feelings more openly. “I mean after all, aren’t we…” Gajeel started, then trailed off, unsure. “Aren’t we what…?” Levy asked worriedly. Gajeel sighed and pinched his nose, embarrassed to even have to say it. “I mean, we’re dating now, yeah?” Gajeel blurted out. Levy’s face broke into a smile, then into laughter as she drove.

“What’s so funny?” Gajeel asked, feeling ridiculous. “Nothing Gajeel, it’s just...you try so hard to be proper and stuff with me, and you’re careful about the whole dating thing. It’s just a gentler side of you and it feels like I’m the only one to see it. It’s cute” she said smiling. Gajeel grunted and settled back into his seat. “Yeah well, you’re different around me too” he mumbled. Levy’s face turned a bright pink, knowing exactly what he meant. “You’re a bit of a flirt Lev, and a damn good one” he teased. Levy's face turned red as she drove, trying to clear her mind of the teasing. Did he really like it that much?

* * *

Walking into the movie theater, Gajeel was able to get a better look at Levy. Even though she just wore a simple plain black t-shirt, he couldn’t help but think how great it looked on her. She really did look good in anything to him, regardless of what it was. Whether she was casual or dressed up, it didn’t matter. 

As they stood in line, Gajeel heard her giggle slightly. He glanced down at her, which caused her to laugh more. “What?” he asked. After her fit of laughter, she pointed to their reflection in the glass of the movie theater. “You look like a bouncer Gajeel” she said. He was standing there with his arms crossed, and his resting face was typically a look of “don’t talk to me” so he had to agree. Gajeel dropped his arms to his side and then felt awkward with them just hanging there, almost like he didn’t know what to do with them. “Sorry, habit” he said. Levy shrugged and took his hand in hers. “It’s ok, it was funny. Does this help?” she asked. Gajeel felt the blush creeping up his neck at her question. She was always so damn cute, and it was his weakness. He gave a small nod in response, which was enough for Levy as they stepped forward to get their tickets.

They were there to see a superhero movie, as Gajeel liked action movies, while Levy preferred a story. It was a good combination of both, and was something they could agree on. “2 for 9pm for the lovely couple” the employee said as she handed them the tickets. “Thanks” Gajeel muttered as he ushered Levy towards the popcorn. His face was now a shade of pink after her comment, making him realize that Levy’s cuteness wasn’t his weakness. Levy was.

“Movie theater popcorn is the best, and you gotta have popcorn for a movie” Levy said excitedly as they waited. Gajeel agreed, but he wasn’t going to admit that he felt popcorn was necessary for a movie. Though at home he did always make popcorn in the microwave when he watched a movie, but Levy didn’t need to know that. Gajeel sniffed the air, smelling the butter and fresh popcorn. “I know, I smell it too” Levy said, noticing. Gajeel nodded as they stepped up to order. It wasn’t even a question for him, he ordered a large combo. “That isn’t too much Gajeel?” Levy asked, worried that it was mostly for her. “Course not. You said it yourself, I look like a bouncer. Big guys gotta eat right?” he teased.

Levy lightly smacked his arm. “You’re a dork” she muttered. While Gajeel was big, he wasn’t fat by any sense of the word. He was very much in shape and Levy was made more aware of that each day she saw him, especially when he wore tight clothing. Or extremely loose clothing, she thought, her mind going back to the arcade from the previous week. 

The two got seats at the top of the theater, as it had the most leg room for Gajeel. They also both agreed that it had the best view, as it was high enough to see over everybody else. “The front is the worst, ya gotta crane your damn neck” Gajeel said, his neck hurting just thinking about it. “I know, I don’t know why people sit so close to the screen!” Levy said as the two got comfortable. Gajeel placed popcorn in between them on the arm rest, then realized it wasn’t very safe there. “How do you wanna..” he began to ask, as Levy picked up the bucket and put it in her lap. “Well alright” he said with a small chuckle. Levy giggled as the movie began. 

Throughout the movie, their hands brushed one another while getting popcorn. They were also sharing a large drink, and Gajeel couldn’t help but find the look in Levy’s eyes adorable as she leaned down to get a sip, unwilling to take her eyes off the screen. It made him smile a little each time, and he didn’t know why. Towards the end of the movie, Gajeel heard a small thunk. He looked over to see Levy looking down into the popcorn bucket. “Oops…” she mumbled. Gajeel leaned over and peered into the bucket, the bottom now mostly visible. Gajeel laughed and grabbed another handful. “It’s meant to be eaten shorty” he teased. Levy smiled and handed him the bucket. He had an odd way of making her feel better. She was afraid that he would be upset she ate so much of it. “Here Gajeel, you can have the rest” she said.

“Ya sure?” he asked as she placed it in his lap. Levy nodded as she lifted the arm rest between them and shifted closer to him, leaning against him. “I’m sure” she said as she focused on the screen once more. Gajeel couldn’t see it, but Levy’s face was bright red. If he looked he probably would’ve been able to see, but he refused to look at her, as his own face was blushing from her advance. He lifted his arm and put it around her shoulders, his hand dangling by her side. He mentally kicked himself for not doing it earlier, but he had trouble making the first move with Levy. She seemed so small and innocent to him, he was afraid to go too far somehow, even with something as simple as this.

* * *

Leaving the theater, the two talked about the movie, and mostly about how it should’ve ended differently. They didn’t realize it, but the conversation lasted half the ride home. Realizing this, Gajeel felt a bit sad that the date was almost over. “Hey, you think they don’t sell movie theater popcorn in the store because then people would just watch movies at home?” Levy asked. Gajeel sighed at the silly question but couldn’t help but crack a smile. “Your guess is as good as mine” he replied. “Maybe it’s like, a secret recipe or something. I dunno. But it’s way comfier to watch movies at home, but you just can’t get that movie theater popcorn taste” Levy said, seeming to be in deep thought. “So which do you enjoy more?” Gajeel asked. Levy furrowed her brow as she thought about this. “I like them both for different reasons I guess. Home for comfort. Theater for the popcorn and screen. But I don’t know which I prefer overall” Levy said. 

Gajeel laughed, amused at how seriously she was thinking about such a silly question. Levy cracked a smile as she pulled up to Gajeel’s apartment. “Hey don’t laugh at me! There’s a science behind it” she said. “The science of Levy?” he asked. The two laughed for a bit before Gajeel had an idea. “Well, if you wanna do more research, we can watch a movie at my place next time” he offered. Levy’s face turned pink as she nodded. “Sure, I’d like that. Are you sure that’s okay though?” she said. Gajeel smirked and leaned towards her for effect. “What, I can’t invite my girlfriend over?” he teased. Levy’s face turned a deep red, causing Gajeel to erupt in laughter, despite his own face beginning to turn pink. “Oh shutup!” Levy yelled as the blush slowly left her face. Gajeel unbuckled his seat belt and leaned over, giving Levy a kiss on the cheek. “I meant it” he said quietly as he got out of the car. Levy took a deep breath to calm her nerves as she watched him walk away, glaring at his back. “Stupid Gajeel…” she muttered. At the door, Gajeel turned and waved goodbye, causing Levy to smile and wave back. As much as she hated how he was, she loved it too.


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the short chapter this week, but I figured a short little interaction was better than waiting 2 weeks for a normal sized chapter. Next week's chapter is back to normal size and I have a feeling you'll all enjoy it!

Levy opened the door to her apartment and took a deep breath. “LUCY!” she yelled in exasperation. Lucy came sliding out of the kitchen and froze in front of the small girl. “Good or bad” she said, more of a statement than a question. “Good, need help” Levy said to her friend. Lucy’s shoulders relaxed and she let out a breath. “Don’t scare me like that Lev! I thought Gajeel did something awful and hurt my little Levy” she said as she pinched her cheek. Levy squirmed away and swatted at her hand. “No no nothing like that. The opposite actually…” Levy said as she began to blush again. 

The two took their place on the couch as Levy went over the details of Gajeel’s invitation. “So what’s the problem!? He invited you to his house! He’s totally into you!” Lucy said, grinning from ear to ear. “I guess so, I just don’t wanna mess it up...plus what do I wear?” she asked. Lucy put a finger to her chin, thinking. “Hmm..are you staying the night?” the blonde asked, causing Levy to turn bright red. “Lucy!” the small girl blurted out. Lucy waved her hand. “Ok so that’s a no. In that case no need to go as casual as sleep clothing” she said as she thought.

Levy couldn’t stop the blush from creeping over her face as she imagined Gajeel seeing her like that. She typically wore a small tank top to bed, with nothing else but her underwear. In the winter she would sometimes wear shorts to sleep in, but they hardly covered anything. The thought of Gajeel seeing her like that made Levy blush in embarrassment, but also in excitement. Would he like it? And what did he wear to bed? What if he didn’t wear anything? 

“So?” Lucy asked, snapping Levy back to reality. “Huh? Oh, uh...what?” Levy asked, embarrassed. Lucy shook her head and sighed. “If you want my help you have to quit daydreaming” she teased. “I was not I was thinking!” Levy said defensively, knowing it was a lie. “Uh huh, sure, you’re probably imagining cuddling during the movie already” she continued. “I was not!” Levy said, this time telling the truth. Lucy giggled. She enjoyed teasing her easily embarrassed friend. “Aaanyways, like I was saying, how about something cute but simple? That loose white blouse with some leggings?” Lucy offered. 

Levy thought about this. She knew the top Lucy meant, it wasn’t exactly frilly but it wasn’t plain either. It barely stayed on her shoulders, but it looked cute on her. And leggings would be nice and comfortable for a movie night without being sweatpants or short shorts. “I think that’ll work” Levy said, nodding. Lucy nodded in return and slapped her thighs. “Great! Now about cuddling…” she trailed off. “LUCY!!!” the blue haired girl yelled, causing the two to erupt into laughter. 

“But seriously though, what if he invites you to stay over?” Lucy asked. Levy blushed at this, and began playing with her hair. “I dunno, I hadn’t really thought about that...do you think he would?” she asked. Lucy shrugged. “He might, ya never know!” she said cheerfully. Levy shook her head and waved her hands in front of her. “No I don’t think I can. Not this time anyways. I mean it’s my first time going over after all y'know? Plus I don’t want to assume…” she said. Lucy nodded and walked back towards the kitchen, ruffling Levy’s hair as she went. “That’s fair, and very like you” she said with a small laugh. Levy sighed and fixed her hair as Lucy popped her head back out. “But next time though?” she asked teasingly. Levy blushed as she thought about this. The blonde noticed she didn’t immediately say no and took that as a victory, smugly returning to the kitchen as Levy sat there thinking.


	17. Chapter 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey all! Just wanted to put this little reminder here that this fic is rated Explicit for a reason, since we are moving forward nicely with the story. So if you aren't comfortable with that, you have been warned!

The following Saturday night, Levy found herself getting dressed to head over to Gajeel’s, butterflies filling her stomach. She looked at herself in the mirror, self consciously staring at her exposed bra straps. She sighed, knowing nothing could be done about it, as the blouse was barely clinging to her shoulders. She made sure the bra was white though to match, though she was sure it was something Gajeel wouldn't even notice. She ran a hand through the side of her hair, letting it fall back down against the side of her face. She decided against a headband tonight, as she didn’t see much of a reason for one. Due to this, her hair framed her face more and was completely untamed. Levy stuck her tongue out at herself in the mirror and couldn’t help but smile a bit. Maybe Gajeel would think the messy hair was cute. Not that it was ever not messy looking, but the headband kept it out of her face.

She put on a pair of sneakers and told Lucy goodbye, who wished her good luck. “Good luck on what?” Levy asked at the door. Lucy shrugged. “On whatever you may need luck on, it’s just words of encouragement” she replied with a small laugh. Levy squinted her eyes at the blonde and pointed a finger at her. “Bad Lucy” she said as she walked out the door, leaving Lucy laughing on the couch. Levy got into her car and glanced at the movie collection she had in the passenger seat. She had gotten Gajeel to agree to watching some of her favorite movies, of which she owned the whole collection. All of the books were made into movies, and of course Levy had all of both. She even went as far to put the collection in the car when she got home from work, refusing to forget them. She took a deep breath as she cranked the car, hoping Gajeel enjoyed them. She wasn’t sure how much he cared for this kind of stuff, all about magic in a make believe world. 

* * *

Gajeel opened the door to see Levy standing there, clutching the set of movies to her chest. She beamed up at him, clearly excited. “ _ Fuck she’s cute” _ Gajeel thought to himself. “Hey Lev” he mumbled as he moved aside to let her in. “Hey Gajeel” she replied as she stepped in and leaned up on her tiptoes. Gajeel raised an eyebrow at her confused. Levy usually was at about his chest, and now she came up to about his neck and was looking up at him. She blushed and went back to her feet and waved her hand. “Sorry, forgot I couldn’t reach…” she said quietly, now embarrassed, her face turning pink. Gajeel now realized that she was trying to give him a kiss. He silently cursed himself and leaned down, gently kissing her cheek. “Not your fault, I didn’t realize…” he muttered back. The two stood there, refusing to look at each other for a few seconds, both embarrassed. 

Gajeel led Levy to the couch and took the movies from her, looking at them. “Uhh which is the first?” he asked as he stared at them. “The one in the front silly” Levy teased as she got comfortable on the right side of the couch. Gajeel grunted in response as he stacked the movies again and took the one off the top, staring at it for a moment as if trying to remember if he accidentally rearranged them. “This one?” he asked, holding it up over his shoulder. “Mmhmm” Levy hummed back, causing a small blush to creep up Gajeel’s neck. For some reason that small noise she made caused Gajeel to think about what other kinds of little noises she was hiding. It sounded cute and content, and he imagined her making it while he held her in his arms. He shook the thoughts away from his head and let out a breath he didn’t know he was holding. 

While Gajeel was battling his thoughts, Levy had her eyes fixed on him, fighting her own. Gajeel was once again wearing a loose tank top, this one black with a circular logo on the chest, interlinking circles inside of it. But Levy wasn’t focused on the shirt, more the man in it. Her eyes focused on his back and arms, and she couldn’t help but think about his arms wrapping around her. She knew he was much stronger than her, but she couldn’t help but imagine he’d be gentle with her. He had been so far, almost as if he was afraid to make a move for fear of scaring her away. She looked at his wild dark black hair that trailed down his back, and let her eyes move over the piercings on his forearms again. She never did learn about his piercings. Gajeel stood up to return to the couch, reminding Levy of his large stature. What would it feel like to be wrapped up in his protective arms, engulfed by him? The thought popped into her head and was quickly pushed away.  _ “Bad Levy”  _ she thought to herself, slightly amused.

Gajeel sat back down on the left side of the couch, a decent space separating the two of them. Levy’s eyes went wide as she realized what was missing. “Popcorn!” she said in shock, completely forgetting to bring some. She was so worried about forgetting the movies that she forgot the popcorn! “Oh yeah” Gajeel said as he got up and walked into the kitchen. Levy turned around on the couch and rested her arms on the back of it as Gajeel rummaged through the cabinet. Levy now took notice of his lower half, as Gajeel was wearing a pair of joggers, which were both loose and tight in different areas. Levy’s face turned red as she stared at Gajeel’s ass, opting to scrunch down on the couch so only her eyes were visible to hide her face.  _ “Is there anything on this guy that isn’t toned?” _ Levy thought to herself as she stared.

A few moments later Gajeel returned with a large bowl of popcorn, placing it in the space between them on the couch. The lights were turned off, and Gajeel took his seat back on the couch as they started the movie. Levy glanced over at Gajeel, who was looking intently at the screen. The screen flicked colors across his piercings, and Levy couldn’t help but smile a bit. He really did look strange but he pulled it off. Levy allowed herself to be immersed in the movie, once again reliving the memories of one of her favorite series. Before she knew it, she was again absentmindedly watching the movie and reaching for popcorn, unaware of Gajeel’s occasional glances.

He kept glancing over at her, almost as if he wasn’t sure if she was real. Her hair was a mess of blue, but to Gajeel it was like a wave that crashed on her shoulders. The headbands she usually wore let him see her face better, but hair being allowed to be free and unruly for a change was cute in a way that he wasn’t prepared for. Was that what it looked like in the morning? Would he get to see that for himself one day? These thoughts passed through his head as his red eyes looked her over. No matter what she wore she always looked good to him, and tonight was no exception. He sighed to himself, regretting putting the popcorn between them. 

About halfway through the movie the two finished the popcorn, moving the bowl to the coffee table in front of them. Gajeel was now eyeing Levy out of the corner of his eye, wondering how to change how far away she was. About that time, she let out a combination of a squeak and a yell, scrambling towards him, her arms close to her chest. Gajeel placed his hands on her shoulders and leaned passed her, scanning the room for what caused her panic. “Something touched me” Levy mumbled quietly as they peered toward the end of the couch, a small pair of eyes looking back. “Mew?” came the small cry, causing Levy to sigh. “I thought it was a fuzzy spider leg or something…” she said quietly as she looked up and over her shoulder at Gajeel. He looked back at her, her golden eyes meeting his. “Well I’m glad you’re ok” he muttered, gently squeezing her shoulders. She nodded and started to readjust herself, but didn’t really want to leave Gajeel. 

Gajeel turned back forward toward the television and left his right arm draped over her. Levy went back to a normal sitting position from her cowering one, and leaned against Gajeel. “Figured you may as well stay since you’re already here..” he said, slightly joking but mostly serious. Levy cracked a small smile and nudged him in the ribs. “Oh shutup” she replied, getting used to his teasing more and more. Gajeel noticed that her blouse slipped off her shoulder from the nudge, and gently fixed it for her. She blushed and glanced up at him, causing him to blush as he realized what he did. A small smile crept over her face as she rolled her eyes. 

The two decided to watch the second movie in the series, as Levy loved them and Gajeel was now interested to see what happens. “What, I’m invested now” he told her, causing her to laugh. “Well I’m glad you’re enjoying it, I was a bit worried you’d think it was silly” Levy admitted. Gajeel shrugged. “It’s interesting. And what’s the point of a boring movie?” he replied. Levy nodded, and the two got comfortable again. Perhaps a bit too comfortable. At some point Levy’s eyes fluttered shut for good, falling asleep against Gajeel’s warmth, tired from her day at work.

When the movie ended, Gajeel noticed this and watched the colors from the television dance across her eyelids. Her lips were slightly parted and she was breathing softly, her head resting against his chest. He sighed and gently lifted Levy, moving himself from under her and nudging the pillow he was leaning against downward so that her head landed on it as he laid her down. He went and got a blanket from his room and returned to cover her. While he was gone she pulled her legs up onto the couch and was sleeping peacefully as the credits rolled. He looked her over for a moment, admiring her. Her hair was partially across her cheek, and Gajeel couldn’t help but think how cute and innocent she looked. She breathed softly as his eyes moved down her body, Gajeel taking note of her tight leggings. He mentally kicked himself and draped the blanket over her.  _ “Don’t be a fucking pig” _ he thought to himself. He gently moved the hair on her cheek with his hand, going to place a kiss on her cheek as she mumbled “thanks Lucy…”. 

Levy’s eyes shot open as she suddenly realized she wasn’t at home. Gajeel froze, inches from her. The two both moved back and stared at the other. “Uhh..” Gajeel started, but Levy cut him off. “I’m so sorry Gajeel! I can’t believe I fell asleep!” she said, sitting up. “Huh? Oh, it’s fine shorty” he said. It didn’t bother him in the slightest, he was more worried she was going to be curious as to what he was doing before she woke up. “Are you sure?” Levy asked, worried she had hurt his feelings by falling asleep. “Of course” he replied gruffly. “Thank you Gajeel” she said quietly as she stood up. 

“Well clearly it’s my bedtime so I should go” she said, walking to put her shoes on. “You can stay, if you want” Gajeel said without thinking. He mentally kicked himself for sounding too eager, looking away and running a hand through his hair. “Just don’t want you to fall asleep driving, yknow?” he said to cover himself. Levy nodded as she put on her shoes. “It’s ok, I’ll be fine, I promise. I’ll let you know when I get back safe, how about that?” she offered. Gajeel nodded and walked over to her at the door. “You better” he said seriously. Levy rolled her eyes at him and leaned up, this time Gajeel getting the hint and leaning down to meet her halfway. She kissed him gently and pulled away, slightly biting her lip. “Maybe next time I’ll stay, okay?” she said, her face turning pink. Gajeel’s face broke into a toothy smirk. “Sure shorty”.


	18. Chapter 18

The next week at work was nothing short of sweet torture for Levy. It was torture, in that Gajeel was relentless in teasing her. But it was also sweet torture because it was Gajeel, and he knew how to push her buttons. He kept making comments about how he was glad to see her, or that he enjoyed seeing her in the barmaid outfit, but the ones that really made her blush was when he asked when she was coming over again. He was serious and she knew it, even behind that smirk she knew he meant it. After being teased all week, and with both of them having Saturday off for a change, Levy decided it was her turn to tease him Friday night.

* * *

Come Friday night, Levy found herself dressed in soft pajama-like light grey shorts and a spaghetti-strap charcoal tank top that clung to her body under a loose flowy beige shirt. The shirt was haphazardly tucked into the shorts so that it didn’t appear to be a dress with how large it was on her, and her hair was pulled up in a messy bun. She felt both comfortable and cute, and couldn’t help but smile as she began to pack a small bag to stay overnight. She grabbed all the essentials, such as a hairbrush and toothbrush, and was on her way. 

“Sooo I guess I’ll see you tomorrow then..?” Lucy said with a giggle as Levy walked out of her room. The blue haired girl blushed as she let out a sigh. “Oh shutup..you know I’m nervous” Levy replied. Lucy gave her a tight hug and squeezed her in her arms. “You’ve got nothing to worry about, you’ll be fine. And if you don’t want to stay then don’t, I’m sure he’d understand” Lucy told her. “I know, but I do want to. I just..I guess I just don’t know how it’ll all play out y'know?” she wondered out loud. Lucy shrugged and glanced her friend up and down. “I imagine with less clothes” she teased. “I’M NOT SLEEPING WITH HIM!” Levy blurted out as her face turned red. Lucy erupted into laughter as Levy tried to contain her blushing face. “I never said that! Geez what’s on your mind?” Lucy asked playfully, poking Levy’s forehead. Levy sighed and began to fidget a bit.

“Well, I did plan on trying to get a reaction from him tonight…” Levy admitted. Lucy raised an eyebrow at her, prompting her to continue. “He’s really careful and he’s been taking it slow with me, I think he’s afraid to go too far. So I wanted to..y’know..give him a push” Levy admitted, unable to look Lucy in the eyes. “And how do you plan on doing that?” Lucy asked, now very interested in this. Levy sighed and gestured to the outfit. “Well I did think this was cute, and I am staying over so…” Levy said, trailing off. Lucy gave her a small smile, knowing that her friend was nervous but doing her best. “Just be yourself, Lev” she said, giving her a hug again. Levy nodded and let out a nervous sigh as she walked to the door. “Well, wish me luck!”

* * *

Gajeel was sitting anxiously on the couch, waiting for Levy to arrive. He had been teasing her all week about her comment of staying over next time, but now that it was actually time he had to admit he was a bit nervous. He was always afraid to push things too far and scare her away, and so he had been taking it slow. Not to mention how small and fragile she seemed, as much as he wanted to reach out and grab her he was half afraid of breaking her. But he knew he couldn’t anyways, as she hadn’t given him permission to do that yet. But he couldn’t help but think about how her body would feel in his hands.

A knock on the door jolted him back to reality, causing him to quickly glance down. He was wearing a pair of gray gym shorts and wanted to ensure his thoughts hadn’t sparked any obvious arousal. He sighed and shook his head as he got up to answer the door.  _ “This girls gonna be the death of me”  _ he thought as he pulled the door open. Levy gave him a small wave before walking inside. Gajeel gave a small grunt as a hello, unable to form words after the combination of her outfit and the wave.  _ “She’s way too fucking cute…”  _ he thought as she walked in. His eyes instantly gravitated to her legs, as her shorts were exactly that: short. Levy dropped her bag onto the coffee table and immediately began to pet Lily, cooing over how cute he was. Gajeel unknowingly scowled at the cat, as if he was purposefully stealing Levy’s attention. 

Gajeel walked over and knelt down to look at the cat, who was pressing his face up against Levy’s hand. “Spoiled brat” he muttered, as Levy gave Gajeel a look of mock shock. “He is not!” Levy said with a small laugh. Gajeel cracked a small smile, always liking to hear her laugh. “He is and he knows it” Gajeel said as he scratched the cat behind the ears. The two stood back up, with Levy digging through her bag for the movie collection as Gajeel went over to the television. As Gajeel was putting the movie in, Levy layed down across the couch, propping herself up with a pillow under her elbow. Gajeel turned around to see her laying there and froze in place. 

Levy raised an eyebrow at him, causing him to speak. “So where am I supposed to sit?” he asked. Levy giggled and glanced behind her at the couch, taking in its size. “You could probably lay behind me, I don’t take up that much room…” she said, a pink blushing creeping over her face. Gajeel mumbled something and disappeared into the kitchen to make popcorn. Levy held her breath as he walked passed, and glanced over the back of the couch at him. In the kitchen, Gajeel was standing with his palms on the counter, staring down at it. Levy took note of his tight black t-shirt, realizing all his clothing was either tight or hanging off of him, with no inbetween. After a few seconds he began the process of making the popcorn, and Levy quit her spying, though she couldn’t help but wonder what he was thinking. 

As Gajeel made the popcorn, he was in deep thought about Levy’s suggestion. It wasn’t a question of whether they could fit on the couch, but more a question of how close they would be. He was unsure if a gap could be left between them, and he didn’t want a guest appearance from any unwelcome visitors, especially with her backside pressed up against him.  _ “Control yourself” _ he muttered as he put the popcorn into a bowl and returned to the couch. 

“You sure about this?” he asked, raising an eyebrow at her. Levy shrugged as she looked up at him. “I don’t see why not. If you don’t think it would be comfortable we don’t have to” she offered. Gajeel sighed as he quickly climbed over her, placing the bowl in front of her stomach. He pressed his back into the couch, trying to get the most distance as possible from her, but Levy backed up towards him, afraid of the popcorn falling. Both were propped up on their shoulders, with Gajeel holding his other hand awkwardly between them, unsure of where to put it. For now he occupied himself with grabbing popcorn, but this plan soon failed, as he quickly realized he’d eat it all in 5 minutes. 

He gently draped his arm over Levy, his forearm across her abdomen. She turned slightly to glance at him but said nothing, a small smile on her lips. “Is uh..is that alright?” he asked her. “Mmhmm” she hummed back, appearing engulfed in the movie. In truth, Levy was much more interested in Gajeel at the moment, and was glad he finally got the hint. Levy placed her hand on his, lacing her fingers with his. Both of them blushed at this, unbeknownst to the other.

* * *

As the night went on, Levy decided to continue encouraging Gajeel. At one point, she gently took his hand and guided it to her hip, placing it there. Gajeel looked at her and leaned down, whispering in her ear. “Careful shorty” he mumbled to her as he gently squeezed her hip. “Hmm?” Levy said in response, the noise a mixture of a reaction to his comment and to the small squeeze. It was almost involuntary, but she enjoyed the feeling of his large hand squeezing her hip, even if it was gently. Gajeel felt the heat rising on the back of his neck after this, doing his best to keep his calm. Her shorts were soft in his hand, and he relished squeezing her hip more than he could put into words. Not to mention he had been able to smell her scent all night being so close together, with it smelling soft and sweet, just like her. He wasn’t sure what the scent was but he didn’t care, it was hers and it was becoming intoxicating. His eyes had been staring at her exposed neck all night as well, wishing he could kiss the back of her neck or bite into the side of it. Gajeel knew better though, and clenched his teeth together instead, slightly annoyed that he was too afraid to make a move.

As the movie came to an end, Levy half turned around to face him. “Hey Gajeel, I wanna ask you something” she said innocently. “What is it?” he responded, infinite possibilities in his head. “You’re my boyfriend, right?” she asked, causing Gajeel to stare at her for a moment. “Well, yeah” he said quietly, unsure of where this was going. Levy turned around more to face him, a slight smile on her lips and her cheeks already pink. “Good. I like it that way” she told him, nervousness beginning to creep up on her. Gajeel gave her a toothy grin and kissed her gently. “You’re not the only one” he mumbled, just loud enough for her to hear. “You’re oddly shy sometimes Gajeel” she said, almost laughing. “I ain’t good with words” he told her, causing her to laugh. “Well still, even with your actions. You’re taking it slow” she said, looking up at him. 

Gajeel swallowed a lump in his throat. He hated putting this type of stuff into words, or even admitting it in the first place. “I just wanna make sure you’re comfortable” he mumbled, again just loud enough for her to hear. “I’ll tell you if I’m not, okay?” she said, hoping to encourage him some. He looked back at her, gazing into her large eyes. They looked so bright and innocent to him, and seemed to put his worries at ease. “Alright Lev” he said, trusting her. She smiled back at him before yawning, covering her mouth with her hand. 

“I guess we should get ready for bed” she said, giving him a quick kiss on the cheek as she got up. Gajeel nodded and followed suit, walking to his bedroom and returning with a pillow and blanket. He returned to see Levy pulling her shirt off over her head, freezing him in his tracks. Underneath the beige shirt she was wearing the form fitting gray tank top, and under that was a lacy bralette of the same color. Gajeel again felt the heat creeping up the back of his neck as he took a deep breath, watching Levy take her hair down. “Oh, thank you Gajeel” Levy said, holding out her hands. “Huh? This ain’t for you” he said, dropping the items on the couch. “You think I’d make you sleep on the couch?” he asked her. Levy stared at him blankly for a moment as she ran her hands through her hair before realizing what he was implying. 

“You want me to take your bed Gajeel? I couldn't!” she said, feeling guilty. “Well I’m not gonna make you sleep on the couch” he replied, crossing his arms. Levy knew he wasn’t going to budge on this and reluctantly gave in. “Alright fine…” she muttered, going to brush her teeth. Gajeel grunted to himself in satisfaction as she left, opting to wait until she was finished to do the same. As Gajeel entered the bathroom, Levy took the time to investigate the bed. It was quite large, much bigger than the couch. Though that made sense considering Gajeel’s size. Levy climbed onto the bed and seemed to test it out, feeling how comfortable it was. She had to admit, it felt better than her own bed. 

“So ya ready for bed?” Gajeel asked her, leaning against the door frame. Levy turned towards him, sitting on her knees on the bed. Gajeel couldn’t help but think of how cute she looked, both in the revealing clothing and with her messy blue hair. “I suppose so. I just feel bad you’re sleeping on the couch…” she told him. He walked over to her and gently kissed her on the cheek. “Don’t worry about it shorty” he said. Levy pouted playfully and looked up at him. “That’s not a proper goodnight kiss Gajeel” she said quietly. He smirked at her and leaned back down, cupping her chin in one hand as he kissed her deeply for a few seconds. “That better?” he asked, pulling away. Levy giggled, a light blush on her cheeks. Gajeel turned to leave, telling her goodnight as he did so. “Hey Gajeel?” Levy’s voice called as he got to the doorway. “Hm?” he asked, glancing over his shoulder at her. “What if...you slept in here...with me?” she asked, looking at him innocently. 

Gajeel froze, unsure if he had heard her correctly. “I mean, it is your bed after all, and the couch isn’t going to be comfortable for you” she said matter of factly. Gajeel slowly turned towards her, his face still showing a bit of shock. “You realize what you’re asking right?” he said. Levy nodded as she looked up at him from her position on the bed. “I do” she told him. “And you’re alright with that?” he asked again for confirmation. Again Levy nodded. “You trusted me to tell you if anything went too far. So I’m trusting you too” Levy told him. Gajeel let out a sigh and ran his hand over the back of his neck. He couldn’t resist the offer. 

He grabbed his pillow off of the couch and returned to the bedroom, turning off the light as he did so. A small amount of light filtered in from the window curtains, allowing them both to still see clearly. Gajeel climbed into the bed behind her, and Levy scooted a bit closer to him. He once again wrapped his arm around her, this time wrapping it around her waist. She smiled slightly at this, and bit her lip a bit as she turned around to face him. “What is it?” he asked her, concerned. “Nothing…” she said quietly, beginning to gently kiss at him, placing light kisses around his cheeks and mouth. Gajeel grunted a bit and kissed her back, tired of the teasing. Levy smiled at him and giggled slightly. “See, I like it when you do things” she told him.

Gajeel took the hint this time, and placed a hard kiss on her lips. When the two finally pulled apart, their lips were still inches away. Gajeel felt her soft breathing on his lips and kissed her again, this time gently pressing his tongue to her lips. Levy noticed this and parted her lips for him, granting him what he desired. Their tongues moved gently against one another, a bit clumsily at first until they found a rhythm. Gajeel pulled away slightly and looked at Levy, both of their faces now flushed and both slightly out of breath. Without a word Gajeel seemed to be asking her whether she wanted to continue or not. Levy gently cupped his face in her hands and kissed him softly, biting at his bottom lip as she pulled away with a smirk. 

Gajeel let out a small grunt at this, and before she could react he climbed over her and was on his knees, with his hands on either side of her holding himself up. Levy turned a bit to be on her back, looking up at him. He was smirking now, and leaned down to whisper in her ear. “Didn’t I tell you earlier to be careful?” he asked, gently kissing her ear. A chill ran down Levy’s spine at this, causing a blush to come over her. “Acting shy now?” he asked, kissing softly along her jawline to her lips, hovering just above them, waiting for a response. Levy decided she wasn’t going to play along that easily, and slipped her hands under the hem of his shirt, resting her hands on his sides. Gajeel stopped and looked at her hands, then back at her. Levy gave him a look that seemed to say “well?” as Gajeel studied her. 

“You sure?” he asked, grabbing the hem of his shirt. “If you are” she responded, prompting Gajeel to pull his shirt off over his head. Levy took in the sight before her, letting her eyes slowly move over the tan skin. She gently ran her hands up his sides, then across his chest. His red eyes watched her carefully as she did this. She could feel his muscular stature and knew that he could pin her to the bed easily if he wanted to, and yet he was being as gentle as ever with her. She squeezed at his hips playfully, causing Gajeel to blush slightly. “You’re naughtier than you look” he told her, leaning back down to kiss her again as her hands ran over his upper body. She wrapped her arms around his back, pulling him closer as they made out, her hands in his hair. As the two pulled away again, Gajeel glanced down at her tank top. It had ridden up some and her bellybutton was now exposed.

Gajeel gently placed his hands on her hips and squeezed them, eliciting a small noise from Levy. He felt her hips in his hands, but Levy began to laugh. Gajeel looked at her, worried. “Gajeel, you’re not going to hurt me” she told him, looking at him. “It’s okay, you’re not going to break me just because I’m small” she said, her flushed face smiling at him. Gajeel gulped as he nodded in response, giving her hips a more forceful squeeze this time. Levy squirmed at this, biting her lip slightly. Gajeel kept going, feeling her body more in his hands, moving from her hips up to her sides, slipping gently under her top. He was careful not to move his hands up too far, but Levy’s squirms and small noises made him more than content. He leaned back up and kissed gently at her neck, then dragged his teeth along it. Levy’s breath hitched, causing Gajeel to smirk and let out a small laugh.

She looked at him through half lidded eyes and gently placed her hand on his face, running her thumb over his cheek. “For the record, I enjoyed every bit of that” she told him. “I could tell” he teased. Levy rolled her eyes at him and sighed. “We shouldn’t go much further though” she said, sounding a bit reluctant. Gajeel nodded and gently kissed her forehead. “Don’t worry, I agree” he said, rolling onto his back. “Thank you Gajeel” she said as she cuddled up to him. He wrapped his arm around her, and the two went to sleep without another word.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So like I said, the fic is moving on and we are approaching more Explicit rated things, so if you disliked this chapter, you may not want to read more. If you liked it, you'll definitely want to read more!


	19. Chapter 19

Levy awoke the next morning laying on her side. She was comfortable and always hated getting out of bed in the morning, with today being no exception. She squinted at the room around her, confused. She moved her arm to rub her eyes, remembering she stayed over at Gajeel’s. Remembering this, she wanted to get up and make herself look presentable before he woke up. She shifted to get up, but an arm wrapped around her waist tugged her backwards, pressing her back to Gajeel’s chest with a grunt from him. Levy squeaked slightly in shock, and turned her head to look at him. Gajeel was laying there, breathing softly, his brow furrowed in his sleep. Levy couldn’t believe it.

“Possessive aren’t we…” Levy muttered as she looked forward again, trying to think of a way to get out of his grasp. Though she had to admit, feeling his warmth against her back with his arm wrapped around her did make her feel safe. Like a big bear was protecting her while she slept. Maybe she should just go back to sleep, after all she didn’t know what time it even was. 

As Levy was in thought, Gajeel shifted in his sleep, his arm coming upward and his hand ending up cupping Levy’s breast. Levy’s eyes went wide as she felt his hand gently hold her, her face turning red as she nervously laughed a bit. “Hm?” she heard from behind her as Gajeel began to stir, her noises waking him. His eyes half opened and he slowly became aware of his surroundings, including Levy pressed up against him and his hand cupping something soft. Quickly putting two and two together, Gajeel jumped backwards out of the bed, quickly standing up.

“Shit Lev, I’m sorry!” he said without a second thought. Levy laughed a bit and sat up, turning to face him. “I-it’s okay Gajeel, you were asleep, I know you didn’t mean it” she told him, still blushing and feeling a bit nervous about it. “I know I was asleep but still, I didn’t think I’d...yknow” he said, averting his eyes. “I understand, it’s alright. It was an accident” she told him with a small smile. “Yeah...not that...I mean, nevermind…” Gajeel muttered his hand going into his hair as it tended to when he ran out of things to say. “What is it…?” Levy asked, becoming worried. 

The two looked at each other, each of them freshly awoken. Levy noticed that Gajeel’s wild hair was even more wild than usual, looking completely untamed. Gajeel couldn’t help but think Levy’s bed-head just made her look adorable, with her blue hair sticking out in different directions. It was a sight that both of them got to share with the other, each thinking that not many got to see the other like this. 

Gajeel sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. “I ain’t good with words. But you called it an accident, and it was. But that doesn’t…” Gajeel trailed off, as if deciding whether to go on. Levy looked back at him, her eyes showing no sign of anger or annoyance at the earlier ordeal. Gajeel always thought her eyes were kind and bright, and as they looked back at him now, it was enough to convince him to be truthful without fear of judgment. Gajeel sighed and finished his thought. “It doesn’t mean that I don’t want to, y’know?” he admitted.

Levy blinked at him for a few moments, not understanding. “Want to...want to what?” she asked. “For fucks sake Lev” Gajeel muttered, his face turning red. “Do stuff with ya, okay?” he said in embarrassment. Levy’s face turned pink as she started to giggle. “You really are bad with words” she told him as she patted the bed. Gajeel sat on the bed, leaning against the headboard. “I already knew that” he mumbled, but she heard him. “You don’t have to be good with words Gajeel. Your actions speak for themselves. And I can tell you mean well” she said, crawling towards him and gently kissing his cheek, sitting on her knees. 

Gajeel grumbled, he hated how much of an effect she had on him. He was putty in her hand but he couldn’t let her know it. “I care about ya, I don’t wanna fuck it up” he told her, looking at her. Levy gave him a small smile and nodded. “I know, I feel the same way” she admitted. “How the hell would you? What ya gonna be too small?” Gajeel teased with a laugh. Levy’s face turned red as she looked down. “Hey, it was just a joke...y’know I like your size right? It’s cute…” Gajeel said, mentally kicking himself. Levy nodded. “I’ve always been called cute, but...not really much more. And...last night I was worried you wouldn’t like my size…” Levy admitted quietly. Gajeel stared at her for a moment, processing what she said. 

“W-wait, you mean…?” Gajeel asked. Levy nodded, having always been self conscious of her chest. Gajeel’s face seemed to become serious as he looked Levy in the eyes. “Well I think you’re beautiful Lev, and anything more than a handful is a damn waste” he told her. Levy looked at him surprised, but his face told her that he meant it. It was a stupid thing to be having a conversation about, and she wondered how they even got here, before remembering how she woke up. “Thank you Gajeel” she said softly, a small smile forming on her lips. “No shorty of mine is gonna have any doubts in her mind” Gajeel said, ruffling her hair. “Hey!” Levy shouted, starting to laugh. Gajeel chuckled a bit before being hit in the face with a pillow.

He turned and looked at her, her face now determined and her tongue sticking out at him. “Ha!” she said, before Gajeel quickly pushed her onto the bed and was leaning over her. Levy was giggling as Gajeel held her wrists down on the bed, smirking at her. “Y'know the punishment for that Levy?” he asked. Levy stuck her tongue back out at him in response, causing Gajeel to kiss her, taking her tongue into his mouth for a moment before pulling away. “Was that the punishment?” Levy asked, raising her eyebrow at him. “No, this is” Gajeel told her, leaning down and assaulting her neck with softly placed kisses, followed by small nips at her neck. The night before he just teased his teeth against her, but now he couldn’t resist. Levy’s inhaled sharply at each little bite, causing Gajeel to want to keep doing it over and over. She squirmed underneath him, and he let out a small laugh as she whined his name. “Gajeeeel…” she gently called. 

Gajeel froze and looked at her, his cheeks turning red from the way she said his name. It wasn’t quite a moan but he loved hearing it regardless. That small whine of wanting was there and he wanted nothing more than her after hearing it. “You’re being a jerk” she told him, causing him to let go of her wrists and sputter. “W-wha? Shit I’m sorry, I thought you enjoy-” he said, getting cut off as Levy sat up and steered him down onto his back. “Huh?” he said confused as she straddled him. She gave him a small smirk as she stretched, putting her hands in her hair. Gajeel stared at her, admiring her body and her beautiful face as she stretched with her eyes closed. 

“You were having all the fun” she told him, leaning down and smirking at him playfully. Gajeel stared at her and gulped slightly, feeling his excitement rising. “And I think I should get to have some too…” she said, gently kissing him, then pulling away instantly, his bottom lip between her teeth. “Fuck..” Gajeel muttered through a heavy breath. Levy let out a small giggle and started kissing along his neck, pressing her chest to his. “Do you like your girlfriend being on top Gajeel?” she asked teasingly as she went along his neck, stopping to swirl a small circle on his neck with her tongue. “I’m starting to enjoy it” he muttered in response, his hands finding her hips, causing a small squeak to escape her lips. He smirked at her as her face turned pink again. “Oh shutup” she mumbled.

“And if I don’t?” he asked, beginning to squeeze and massage her hips. “I’ll bite you” Levy responded plainly, causing Gajeel to raise his eyebrow at her. Levy stared back at him, his red eyes never leaving hers. He liked to test her, and while it could be annoying he never pushed too hard. Just hard enough to make her want to out of spite or playfulness, but never enough to make her feel forced to. She leaned down and kissed his neck softly before biting into it, causing Gajeel to dig his fingers into her hips. Levy let out a small moan against his neck before pulling away, both of them now red in the face. 

Levy adjusted herself for balance and felt something behind her. Turning around she saw Gajeel’s erection straining against his shorts. Levy turned beet red as she looked back at Gajeel. “Oh! S-sorry I didn’t mean to do all that!” she said apologetically. Gajeel let out a small laugh and glided his hands down to her thighs, gently squeezing them in his hands. He liked the feel of them in his hands, the bare skin was cool and her thighs were soft and plump despite her small size. He had a feeling her ass was similar, considering how often it caught his gaze. “It ain’t a bad thing Lev” he told her with a shrug. “It happens”.

“Are you sure? It wasn’t too much?” Levy asked, now becoming self conscious about her actions. “Hell no” he told her, grinning up at her. “I loved every damn second” he said, causing her to blush. Levy nodded, before her stomach growled. This caused Gajeel to start laughing, and to offer up breakfast. “How about waffles?” he asked, causing Levy’s eyes to go wide and her mouth to drop open. “You can make waffles?” she asked. “I mean, I got a waffle maker so yeah” he told her, causing her to jump up. “Guess that’s all you needed to hear” Gajeel said as he got up out of the bed and led her into the kitchen, chuckling at her excitement.

As Gajeel made the waffles, Levy sat patiently at the table. “So you’re sure it wasn’t too much? This morning I mean…” Levy trailed off. Gajeel shook his head, sitting down at the table. “Course not. It’s the best morning I’ve had in a long time” he teased her. Levy sighed and puffed her cheeks out at him, causing him to laugh. “What, am I not meant to enjoy it?” he asked her. “I just wanted to make sure it wasn’t too far” she told him timidly. Gajeel shook his head and looked her in her eyes. “Whatever you’re comfortable with Levy. I’m fine as long as you are. Okay?” he told her. Levy nodded and gave him a small smile. “Thank you for being patient with me Gajeel” she told him, blushing slightly. Gajeel grunted in response, unable to say what he was thinking.  _ “Well you’re worth it” _ he thought to himself.


	20. Chapter 20

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey all, sorry for the delayed/short upload, life's been real busy lately. The uploads won't be stopping anytime soon though!

For the next few weeks, Gajeel and Levy’s schedules didn’t quite line up. To both their annoyance, if one was off, the other was working. During this time, the best they were able to do was grab dinner together a few times during the week, which of course they both enjoyed, but it seemed they were both desiring to spend a bit more alone time together. Gajeel offered to let Levy stay the night, but she refused, not wanting work the next morning to get in the way. Gajeel understood, but was longing to touch her again, as only getting kisses for the past few weeks after that movie night had him reliving that night in his mind. He kicked himself for it, but he couldn’t stop imagining her in his arms, and his hands for that matter. Secretly Levy was thinking similar thoughts, though neither would admit it to the other.

Gajeel still stopped by on his lunch at work, of course now to see Levy more than to get a drink. Usually they just waved goodbye when his lunch was over, as Gajeel was a bit shy about showing affection in public, much to Levy’s amusement. Sometimes she would give him a kiss anyways if not many people were around, always causing him to grumble in response. Today however, Levy was not amused.

Cana was meeting with her boss, which left Levy running the booth alone, and she was dealing with a surge of customers. Gajeel sat down quietly beside an older man with a beer gut as Levy sighed and wiped the sweat from her forehead with the back of her hand. He made no motion to alert her of his presence, knowing that she was busy and would get to him when she could. He didn’t feel any need to add to her stress. He put his elbows on the bar, linking his fingers together and resting his face against his hands, his eyes locked to her. Levy glanced at the bar, noticing Gajeel just as another patron called her attention. 

“Oi there, I’d love to sit here and look at ya all day but y'know what would make it even better?” the round man beside Gajeel asked her. Gajeel’s eyes shifted to the man beside him, but his body never moved. “A refill?” Levy asked the man, rolling her eyes in annoyance already. He had been here for quite some time already, and was getting drunk. “Well sure if you’re offering! But I was gonna say if ya had a shorter skirt on!” the man said with a laugh. Levy glanced at Gajeel, who was now looking forward again, but she could tell his body was tense. “I’d be happy with the refill sir” Levy told him, placing a drink down in front of both him and Gajeel. “I suppose I’ll have to be, unless somebody with bigger tits decides to show up!” the man said, laughing heartily and hiccuping. 

Levy gritted her teeth, being sick of the man at this point. His orange beard and goatee was soaked with ale that he was spilling over himself from drinking so quickly, which served to annoy her more. If she was going to serve him he could at least drink it! Thinking of a way to rid herself of him, she came up with an idea. She glanced at Gajeel, who’s eyes were trained on hers. A silent understanding was made, as Levy leaned forward on the counter. “Y’know, I’d watch your mouth if I were you. My boyfriend is sitting right beside you” Levy told the man. He laughed and turned to the young boy beside him, who didn’t even look old enough to drink. “This one here?” he asked with a laugh as he clapped the boy on the back. “Ah this one wouldn’t hurt a fly!” he said heartily. The boy looked around bewildered as Levy shook her head. “Other way” she said, almost maliciously.

“Ah, my apologies” the man said as he turned to his left on the stool. He turned and looked at Gajeel, who was sitting in the same position, looking forward. “So then it’s-” the man stopped, looking at Gajeel. Gajeel turned his gaze on the man, looking at him from the corner of his eye. “I see” the man muttered, giving Gajeel a nod and turning to leave. Gajeel grabbed the back of his shirt and tugged him back over. “Apologize” he said gruffly. “Alright alright, I’m sorry I talked about your lady like that!” the man said. “Wasn’t meaning to me” Gajeel grunted, nodding his head at Levy. Levy’s eyes went a bit wide at this, not expecting Gajeel’s reaction. He cared more about her than he was angry at the man. The man sighed and turned to Levy. “Sorry lass” the man said, Gajeel still staring at him. “For uh, my comments” he continued. Gajeel raised an eyebrow at the man. “And I’ll not be coming back” he said with a small nod, glancing at Gajeel before turning to leave, stumbling away in his drunkenness. 

“Thank you Gajeel” Levy said, her shoulders relaxing and a sigh escaping her. Gajeel grunted in response and sat back down. “Ya okay?” he asked her quietly. Levy nodded and gave him a small smile. “Yeah, I’m okay. Just a bit annoyed. But it’ll get better now with him gone” she told him. Gajeel nodded and waved her closer to him. Levy leaned in and Gajeel gently took her chin in his hand and kissed her deeply. “That help?” he asked her. Levy’s face turned red as she mumbled out a “oh shutup” and turned away. Gajeel chuckled slightly and grabbed her hand. “Maybe I need to make it more obvious you’re taken” he teased her, causing her to further blush. “And how do you plan to do that, leave a hickey on my neck next time I stay over?” she asked jokingly. Gajeel raised a studded eyebrow at her, causing her to sigh and wave her hand at him. “Nope not happening” she said as she went back to work. Gajeel smirked to himself.  _ “She didn’t say I couldn’t leave one anywhere else”  _ he thought.


	21. Chapter 21

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry again for the late upload, stuff's been busy. But next week should be on time probably and a longer chapter! Thank you all for the support so far!

Levy hummed happily to herself as she opened the door to her apartment. It was Thursday night, and both her and Gajeel had the weekend off. After work tomorrow they got to spend the whole weekend together, and Levy’s cheeks burned a little thinking of what they may get up to. “LEVY” Lucy yelled, snapping Levy out of her thoughts with a jump. “Is that how you welcome me home now, you just scare me half to death?” Levy asked, walking inside and shutting the door behind her. “Do you know it’s August already?” Lucy asked, as if this explained everything. Levy thought for a moment, but came up with nothing. “And that’s supposed to mean..?” she asked, at a loss. The blonde sighed and looked upset. “Summer is basically over and we haven’t been to the beach!” she blurted out. 

Levy blinked at her friend before letting out a sigh of her own. “I should’ve known it was something like that” she said with a small smile, unable to hide her amusement at her friend. “Are you free this weekend?” Lucy asked as Levy walked into the kitchen to get food. She froze, staring at the fridge. “Uh..why do you ask?” Levy said, desperately trying to stall. She was always a terrible liar. “Because I wanna go to the beach while we still can! And I wouldn’t want to go without you Lev” the girl pleaded, giving her puppy dog eyes. “Well, I…” Levy started, but was cut off. “Hey I know! Why don’t you ask Gajeel to come too? That way I can finally meet him, and you can flirt some in a cute bikini” Lucy said, smirking at Levy.

Levy’s face turned red as she ran through different scenarios in her mind, all of them involving a shirtless Gajeel. “Wouldn’t you feel a bit left out though?” Levy asked tenderly, trying not to offend her friend. Usually she was the one who was a third wheel, so she knew the feeling. “Oh don’t worry about me! Actually there’s somebody I know we can meet there too, so…” she trailed off, trying to hide her blush. Levy raised an eyebrow at her friend as she returned to the living room, her food steaming fresh from the microwave.

“Something you wanna tell me Luce?” Levy asked mischievously. The blonde blushed and let out a sigh. “Alright fine. You remember that guy I kinda sorta had a crush on in high school? With the pink hair?” she asked. Levy nodded, remembering how broken up her friend was when the boy moved away. “Well he got in touch with me today, and turns out he moved back. Kinda. He lives 2 hours away at the beach…” Lucy admitted. Levy nodded, putting the puzzle pieces together. “So really YOU’RE the one who wants to go flirt” Levy said, teasing her friend. “Oh c’mon Lev you know how much I liked him! Plus what other opportunity would I have to wear a bikini around him!?” she asked, exasperated. Levy found her friend to be amusing, despite the wrench she was throwing in her weekend plans. “Let me talk to Gajeel and see if he’s interested, alright? I’ll let you know, promise” Levy told her. Lucy nodded and looked hopefully at Levy.

“If he says yes we’re going shopping tomorrow when you get off” Lucy told her. “Huh? Why?” Levy asked, confused. “To get you a cute bikini duh!” Lucy replied, nudging the small girl. Levy blushed and mumbled to herself, “But I have a cute one…”. Lucy smiled at her friend and decided to push her along. “Sure sure, but you could also get a...less cute one” Lucy suggested devilishly. Levy furrowed her brow at the girl, confused. “Maybe a little less frills and a little more skin?” she teased. Levy’s face turned red as she started hitting Lucy. “Shutup shutup!” Levy shouted as Lucy erupted into laughter. 

“Seriously though, don’t you wanna tease your man a bit?” Lucy asked. “You’re one to talk…” Levy retorted, causing them both to sit there blushing. Levy sighed and conceded defeat. “Fine, we’ll at least go look. Happy?” she offered. Lucy nodded, ending the assault on Levy. Now it was her turn however. “So you plan on wooing your guy with skin then?” Levy asked. “Well that’s not the only thing! But it certainly helps…” Lucy mumbled, knowing she was well-endowed. “Just don’t think about it too much Luce. If he likes you for you then he will regardless of what you wear. You know that” she told her friend. Lucy nodded. She knew Levy was right, but she’d still take any advantage she could get to try and win the boy over. “Thanks Lev. I guess we’ll see how it goes then yeah?” she asked. Levy nodded and pulled out her phone. “I’ll talk to Gajeel and see what he thinks” she said, walking to her room.

Levy was worried that Gajeel would be upset that their weekend plans were changed, but he didn’t seem bothered by it. “Sure, I don’t mind” he told her. “Well in that case Lucy wants to go shopping tomorrow night, and we’ll be leaving early Saturday so...I won’t be able to see you after work tomorrow” she told him sadly. “It’s not a big deal shorty. I imagine you don’t want any marks on ya before going to the beach. Saturday morning then?” he asked her. Levy was glad he couldn't see her blushing as she sighed loudly before replying. “Yeah, I imagine Lucy is driving so we can just pick you up. Is that okay?” Levy asked, ignoring his teasing. “Sure, just lemme know what time” he replied gruffly. “Alright, I’ll let you know then” she told him. She heard a small laugh from him, followed by “Can’t wait to see what you’re wearing Saturday” before the call ended. She stared at her phone with her cheeks flushed and puffed out in annoyance. She was going to show him alright. “Lucy?” Levy said calmly as she walked into the living room. “Hm?” Lucy replied, turning to look at her. Levy smiled with a devilish look in her eye. “We’re going shopping”.


	22. Chapter 22

Saturday morning, Gajeel sat scratching Lily’s head. “I’ll be back by tonight alright bud? Might be a bit of a late dinner for you..so I put a little extra out. Don’t eat it all at once ya hear me?” he told the cat, who merely stared back with large black eyes. Gajeel sighed and glanced at the ceiling. “Why do I bother like the damn cat can understand me?” he asked himself, prompting Lily to meow softly. Gajeel narrowed his eyes at the cat, staring him down. “Smart little bastard ain’t ya?” he muttered, before a car horn startled him. “Jesus fuck, ya could’ve knocked!” he said, grabbing his bag containing his swim trunks and other beach items. He paused at the door and turned back to Lily, pointing a finger at him. “Don’t burn the apartment down. You know the rules” he said as he exited.

He walked toward the car, being a shiny white four door. Levy was in the passenger seat, which meant the car belonged to the blonde driver. “Morning Gajeel” Levy said as he got in the back. “Hey Lev” he replied. “This is my best friend and roommate, Lucy” Levy said, turning to look over her shoulder at him. “Nice to meet you” Gajeel said, doing his best not to sound disinterested. He had always been told he was gruff and rude, simply due to his voice and usually shorter responses. “It’s nice to finally meet you too Gajeel, Levy’s told me a lot about you” she said, causing Levy to turn slightly pink. Gajeel gave her a nod, not realizing Levy's blush as he was sitting behind her. As Lucy turned around to reverse, Gajeel noticed her rather large chest.  _ “No wonder Levy’s self conscious” _ he thought to himself. As they started on the road, conversation began to fill the car, mostly from Levy and Lucy with Gajeel silently listening.

* * *

After about two hours, they were arriving at their destination. “Should be somewhere around here…” Lucy said, looking around for her turn. As Levy tried to help direct her using the GPS, Gajeel began stretching as much as he could in the car. He was ready to get out of it, feeling cramped and slightly carsick, though he wouldn’t admit it. He never liked long car rides, and you wouldn’t catch him dead on a plane. “Found it! I think” Lucy said, stopping the car in front of a brightly colored house. “That’s a beach house if I’ve ever seen it” Gajeel muttered, noting the bright reds, pinks, oranges and yellows of the house. They all got out and stretched, before walking up the steps to the door. They all carried their bags, planning to change into their beach attire in the house. Lucy knocked on the door, and after a few moments it swung open.

“Heya Lucy! Long time no see!” the man who answered the door shouted. He was standing there shirtless, grinning ear to ear with wild pink hair stuck out in every direction. His hair wasn’t very long, but would probably cover his eyes if it was wet, Gajeel thought. “Hey Natsu, it’s nice to see you again too” Lucy said, blushing slightly at the shirtless figure before her. Natsu looked at Levy thoughtfully and rubbed his chin. “I recognize you but…” he trailed off. “Levy” she told him with a small nod. “I knew it started with an L! Sorry about that, I’m bad with names. I don’t know yours either, but I think I’d remember meeting you” Natsu said, pointing at Gajeel. He raised a studded eyebrow at him. “Why’s that?” he asked plainly, knowing the response would be amusing to him. “Well I mean, ya look like  _ that _ ” he said with a laugh. Gajeel sighed internally, Natsu didn’t understand that he was messing with him. What fun was it if they didn't realize it was a rhetorical question? “Name’s Gajeel” he grunted.

Natsu led them inside, directing them to the bathroom so they could change. Gajeel went first, as he would be quickest. Natsu was already prepared for the beach, his trunks a bright white with lineart of red dragons on them. “So Luce, how do you know that guy?” Natsu asked, hitching his thumb toward the bathroom. “Well really I don’t, Levy is more acquainted with him” she told him, letting Levy choose what to tell him of their relationship. Natsu looked at the small girl and raised an eyebrow. “Gajeel is my boyfriend” she told him with a small smile. Natsu burst out into laughter as Gajeel came back from the bathroom, wearing jet black swim trunks with a gray trim. “Wow really!? That’s something isn’t it! I really wouldn’t have guessed that one!” he said loudly. Gajeel narrowed his eyes at him from behind. He could tell Natsu was almost the polar opposite of him personality wise. “Well, you never know” Levy said, looking up at Gajeel with a smile as he moved to stand beside her. He looked down at her and couldn’t help but turn a bit pink. She had a way of melting his heart he couldn’t quite understand. “Yeah yeah...who’s next?” he grumbled. 

Lucy changed next, exiting the bathroom in a white bathing suit cover that was zipped up to her mid-chest. Her large chest was still clearly visible, and she appeared to be sporting a white bikini with pink flowers on it. Gajeel eagerly awaited Levy’s exit, and admittedly was slightly disappointed when her white bathing suit cover was fully zipped. He still had no idea what she was wearing to the beach, and decided it must be purposeful. As they walked back out to the car, he grabbed her wrist. “Huh?” she said turning to him, but her shoulder hit his chest, stopping her. He leaned down and whispered into her ear teasingly “you aren’t being shy now, are ya?”. Levy smirked, knowing what she had in store for him. “Whatever do you mean Gajeel? You’ll see soon enough” she said, pulling away and walking to the car, opting to sit in the backseat this time. Gajeel joined her and gave her a glance, her sweet face hiding mischief. Gajeel was none the wiser as they began their trip to the beach. He merely thought she was teasing him by making him wait, but Levy had a different idea.

* * *

“We’re here!” Lucy called out a few minutes later as they parked. The boys were of course tasked with carrying the umbrellas and chairs from the trunk, while the girls carried the bags they had brought. “I didn’t even know you had all this” Gajeel muttered as they trudged through the sand. “I didn’t even think to grab mine from the house, good thing you guys brought yours!” Natsu called. “We come prepared” Lucy told them. The group chose an area and stuck the umbrellas into the sand, creating a shaded safe haven from the sun. The girls laid out towels, each under an umbrella. “This one ours then?” Gajeel asked, walking closer. “Mmhmm” Levy hummed in response as she rummaged through her bag. Gajeel laid his towel down beside hers and pulled sunscreen out of his bag, applying it to his face and shoulders. While he had tan skin, he still put on a little sunscreen to be safe. He heard the sound of a zipper behind him and turned around, only to see Lucy shedding the cover. Gajeel grumbled to himself as Levy was on her knees digging through her bag. He laid down on his towel, giving the sunscreen a few minutes to soak in, while Natsu rushed to the ocean, Lucy running after him yelling about sunscreen.

Levy glanced over her shoulder, seeing Gajeel laid on his back with his hands behind his head, and his eyes closed. She had been buying time until he was distracted, and quietly unzipped the cover. “Gajeel?” she asked. “Hm?” he grunted in response, his eyes still closed. “Would you mind…?” she said, prompting him to open his eyes. Levy stood over him, holding a bottle of sunscreen and wearing exactly what Gajeel hoped, a small bikini. Gajeel turned red as he looked her up and down. Her bikini top was white with small gray stripes, and had a rose in the middle holding the two sides together. The bottoms were plain black, being tied on her right hip and a rose again holding the fabric together on her other. Levy blushed pink as she stood before him, always embarrassed to do anything like this. She had a feeling Gajeel would show how much he enjoyed it however. “Uh y-yeah, sure” he stammered as he sat up. Levy sat on her knees with her back to Gajeel as he gently rubbed the lotion on her back. He felt the heat rising in his cheeks as his hands moved over her shoulders and back, as well as his excitement. He wanted to wrap her in his arms and kiss the back of her neck, but knew he shouldn’t. “You uh..” Gajeel started, before clearing his throat. “You look good Lev” he mumbled out. Levy laughed slightly and smiled at him. “Thank you Gajeel. I’m glad you like it” she said. “That’s a fucking understatement” he muttered. He traced his finger lightly over her tattoo, causing her to shiver. He gave her a grin and raised an eyebrow at her. “Better get used to my touch” he teased. “Better earn the right to touch” Levy replied, giving him a small smirk as she got up and walked towards the ocean.

“H-hey!” Gajeel called as he quickly followed. His eyes were glued to her ass as she strutted in front of him. Her bikini left little to the imagination, showing off her round ass nicely, bouncing in the sun. If it showed any more Gajeel would think it almost a thong. He couldn’t put into words how amazing she looked to him. “Yes?” she asked as he followed behind her. “Your face” he said plainly. Levy stopped and turned towards him. “Huh?” she asked bewildered. Gajeel handed her the sunscreen and pointed to his face. “You didn’t put any on your face” he said. “Oh, well thank you Gajeel” she said, blushing slightly from embarrassment. She had been so caught up in trying to tease him she forgot to cover her face. And considering she was a bit on the pale side she needed all the sunscreen she could get. Gajeel nodded as they walked back up to the towels to return the sunscreen, mentally doing his best to keep his arousal at bay. She looked so damn good in that swimsuit, and her hair being loose was a rare sight that Gajeel treasured. Levy hated it being messy and wild but Gajeel loved that wild blue hair. This of course gave Levy free time to look over Gajeel’s body, since he was so preoccupied with his own thoughts. Levy sighed, imagining running her hands over his firm chest and abs, or straddling his lap while holding his hips for balance, his hands holding her close to him… “What is it?” he asked her, causing her eyes to go wide. “N-nothing. Just thinking” she replied hastily. The two looked at each other for a moment before turning away to walk toward the ocean. “Fuck” they both muttered.

As they walked into the ocean, Gajeel realized he at least didn’t have to worry about any rising excitement anymore. The dark water would hide his lower half should anything happen, though he wasn’t keen on letting it happen in the first place. “Don’t be an animal” he muttered to himself. “Gajeel” Levy called, causing him to turn around. “Huh?” he asked, turning to see Levy standing a few feet behind him, the water up to her chest. He had been absentmindedly walking deeper into the ocean, forgetting about the height difference. “O-oh, right. Sorry shrimp” he said, walking back towards here. “Hey don’t call me that!” Levy said as she splashed water at him. Gajeel laughed and leaned towards her, smirking. “And what’re you gonna do about it?” he asked her smugly. Levy smiled fiendishly at him and splashed water in his face, causing Gajeel to sputter the salty water out of his mouth. “Hey!” he yelled while Levy laughed and stuck her tongue out at him. “I’m gonna get ya, and when I do it ain’t gonna be fun for ya” Gajeel said pointing a finger at her. Levy covered her mouth with her hand in mock surprise before turning and running through the ocean. “C’mere!” Gajeel shouted, running after her.

Gajeel was quickly able to catch up to Levy, as she was essentially in deeper water due to her height. He grabbed her by her hips and held her in place while she wriggled wildly, laughing. “Nooo! You’ll never take me!” she shouted as she struggled. Gajeel laughed as he lifted her up out of the water and hoisted her onto his shoulder, his hand on the small of her back for balance. “G-Gajeel! Put me down!!” Levy yelled, hitting him on the back as he laughed, carrying her deeper into the ocean. “Nuh uh shorty, you’re coming with me” he told her. “You’re carrying me like a sack of potatoes!” Levy yelled in embarrassment. “A hot one” he told her, glancing at her ass. Levy blushed furiously at the situation she was in, being carried helplessly into the ocean by Gajeel. No amount of struggling would free her from his grasp, and she knew this, much to her annoyance.  _ “At least he’s carrying me away from people, otherwise my ass would be on full display” _ she thought to herself. 

Gajeel finally put her down, her feet kicking in the water to stay afloat. “You know I can’t stand here!” she told him as he laughed. The water was almost to Gajeel’s shoulders, so Levy couldn’t stand without her mouth being underwater. “Not my fault you’re so short” Gajeel teased as Levy pouted at him. “What was the point of bringing me all the way out here Gajeel, just to make fun of me?” Levy asked him. Gajeel smirked and took a step back toward the beach, rising up almost a foot. “Sandbar” he told her simply as she swam forward and stood on it, the water now to her shoulders. Gajeel stepped back into the deeper water and behind her as he gently wrapped his arms around her waist and held her back to his chest. “You know I prefer being in private” he told her quietly, causing her to blush red. “What do you mean Gajeel?” she asked, knowing full well what he meant. “You look damn good Levy. And I wanna show you how good” he said as he leaned down and kissed the back of her ear, licking her lobe before biting at it gently. “G-Gajeel…” Levy said with a bit of longing in her voice. She heard Gajeel chuckle as he tugged her waist tighter to him. “Nobody can see us out here, we’re just some couple floating out in the water” he told her as they looked around. It was true, nobody was near them in the slightest. And since they were facing away from each other it did appear that they were simply relaxing, rather than making out or anything else.

“So was this your plan all along Gajeel? Drag me out to the ocean and get me all flustered?” she asked him as she glanced over her shoulder at him, her cheeks flushed a pink tone from both the sun and him. “Nah, just came to me. But is that really all it takes to get you flustered Lev?” he teased, kissing at the back of her neck gently. “Cause I’ve got plenty more for ya…” he trailed off as his arms unwrapped from her waist, his hands instead holding her hips firmly, giving them a squeeze under the water. This elicited a small “mmm….” from Levy, as she closed her eyes and enjoyed his touch for a moment. She sighed as she moved her hand backwards in the water, gliding her palm over Gajeel’s length, causing him to tense up. “Two can play this game” she muttered, as if anybody else was near enough to hear. “Somebody’s getting bold” Gajeel teased. Levy grumbled back at him, knowing that she was only becoming more daring because Gajeel lit a fire in her. “Shutup you. Besides, we should stop before we get caught” she told him, turning to face him. Gajeel sighed, but agreed. “Fine. At least let me kiss ya first though” he said, looking into her golden eyes. Her hair was a mess of blue with the ends wet and floating in the water, and Gajeel couldn’t tell if the pink adorning her face was due to the sun already or her blushing, but either way it was cute. Levy obliged the request of course, and Gajeel let out a small laugh as he pulled away and ruffled her hair. “You’re damn cute, yknow that?” he asked as he started moving back toward the beach. “H-hey! You can’t just say that and leave!” Levy shouted, swimming after him. 

As they walked back towards their towels, they noticed Lucy and Natsu were already there. Lucy was laying on her stomach, while Natsu was sprawled out on his back, asleep. “Hey Luce. Did he really…?” Levy trailed off. Lucy sat up on her knees and looked at her friend with a sigh. “Yes, yes he did. After I chased him into the ocean and some shenanigans we came back here and he promptly passed out” she said. Levy gave her friend a concerned look. “I’m sorry Luce. I’m sure it has nothing to do with you” Levy told her. Lucy sighed and looked at the boy before a glint caught her eye. She turned to Gajeel and for the first time noticed his piercings, as they were now shining from the sun and water. Her eyes went wide a bit while Gajeel just raised an eyebrow at her. “S-sorry, I just didn’t realize before. The uh…” she said motioning to her forearms and face. Gajeel laughed and sat on his towel. “Don’t worry about it, I’m used to it” he told her. Lucy nodded as she looked the man over. He certainly was a different one to say the least, but as long as he treated Levy right, that’s all she cared about. Both Levy and Gajeel went to work drying their hair while Levy started rummaging through her bag. “You two ready for lunch?” Lucy asked.

“Lunch?” Natsu asked, sitting up. Lucy practically fell over as she turned to face him. “Don’t scare me like that!” she said as she clutched her chest. Natsu blinked at her and then at the bag. “How did I scare you? I didn’t sneak up on you” he said confused. Lucy sighed while Levy cracked a smile behind Natsu. “You were asleep, you dummy!” Lucy told him. “Oh! Well, yeah. But you said lunch” he replied plainly with a big grin. Lucy shook her head as she distributed sandwiches from her bag. “At least I know how to get your attention” Lucy muttered. “Well there’s plenty of ways, but food is always a good one!” Natsu said. Gajeel leaned toward Levy and whispered in her ear, “he’s a bit clueless”. Levy giggled and waved her hand at Gajeel. “Shush!” she whispered back, not wanting to be rude. 

“So Lucy, I was thinking, did you wanna go on a real date sometime?” Natsu asked. The three others of the group froze, with Lucy’s eyes going wide. “Oh, uh, s-sure Natsu I’d love to” she replied, taken off guard. “Cool! We can figure out the details later yeah?” he asked as he happily ate, a giant grin plastered to his face. “Y-yeah” Lucy said, unable to contain the blush on her face or the small smile tugging at her lips. Levy was also smiling now while Gajeel was watching, dumbfounded. “He’s a fucking moron, but he’s not  _ that  _ much of a moron” Gajeel muttered, almost as a note to himself. Levy nodded, not exactly in agreement, but in all fairness Gajeel had a point. While Natsu appeared to be a happy-go-lucky and somewhat dense individual, it was clear that he at least wasn’t completely clueless. He had an innocent charm to him, and seemed to just want everybody to have a good time. He was the same boy Levy remembered.


	23. Chapter 23

After laying in the sun a bit longer, the group decided it was time to leave, or risk sunburn. “Aw c’mon, I never burn!” Natsu whined as they dragged him from the beach. “You’re not immune to the sun Natsu!” Lucy replied exasperated. “You don’t know” he said plainly, causing all of them to stare at him and then sigh. “I think I’m safe at least” Gajeel said, looking over his arms. Levy also looked him up and down, realizing that he did seem to already have become a shade tanner. She grumbled a bit as her face was sensitive already, and she would likely have a pink hue for a day or two across her cheeks. “Speak for yourself” Levy muttered, though she couldn’t complain about getting to see Gajeel shirtless all day. Any amount of sunburn would be worth it, she thought as she ran her eyes over him. Piling into the car, Levy held her hand out between them in the backseat. Gajeel stared at it for a moment, then looked at Levy who was giving him a small smile. Gajeel grumbled, realizing what she wanted as he placed his hand in hers, interlocking their fingers. “Lucky you’re cute” he muttered.

* * *

Once back at Natsu’s and a change of clothes later, it became clear that the sandwiches weren’t enough. Natsu's stomach growled as he sat on the couch, eliciting a groan from him. “Is anybody else starving or is that just me?” he asked as he clutched his stomach. “Admittedly I am kinda hungry…” Lucy said, with a nod of agreeance from Levy from across the room. “I can always eat” Gajeel replied, before whispering to Levy “that includes you”. Levy blushed red but tried to show no sign that he had said anything otherwise. A grin crept across his face as Lucy and Natsu went back and forth about where to eat. They were too distracted to notice Levy’s burning face, or that she shot Gajeel a glare, causing him to laugh. 

“Right! So Chinese it is, yeah?” Natsu exclaimed triumphantly as Lucy nodded. “If that’s okay with you two?” Lucy asked. “Sure, that sounds good” Levy replied, glancing at Gajeel who gave a small nod. “Great, I’ll tell the old man in case he wants something” Natsu said as he ran upstairs. He returned a few moments later, shrugging. “Guess he’s not here. He’s never around when you need him but otherwise he won’t leave me alone” he said as he shook his head. “Oh well. At least I have Happy” Natsu said as he walked to the door. “You mean at least you’re happy?” Levy asked him. “Huh? Well, I am, but my cat’s name is Happy” Natsu said as if it was obvious. Lucy gave Levy a look, one that Levy could read perfectly. Her eyes said “his cats name is Happy, that’s adorable” but Lucy dared not say it out loud and embarrass him. “Hold on I’ll go get him!” Natsu shored as he ran through the house. Gajeel gave a small laugh as he looked at Lucy. “Having second thoughts?” he asked her, earning him an elbow from Levy. “Gajeel!” she hissed. “What? I didn’t mean nothing by it” he replied. “It’s okay, I get Natsu is a bit...different” Lucy said carefully. “But he’s very sweet and fun to be around” she said with a small smile. Gajeel gave her a small nod. “Well hopefully you can keep up with his energy” he told her, which he thought was sound advice. Levy blinked for a few seconds before realizing that Gajeel was trying to be nice and make sure Lucy realized what she was getting into. Levy looked up at him as he stood there with his arms crossed.  _ “You act all tough but there’s more going on in there than you’re willing to show” _ Levy thought.

“Happy!” Natsu exclaimed as he walked back into the room carrying a bright blue cat. “Uhh” Lucy said instinctively as she saw it. “Hey shorty, it matches ya” Gajeel said with a laugh. Levy crossed her arms and glared at Gajeel. “Very funny” she told him as she gave a small smile. At least Gajeel did seem to like her hair. “Oh! Yeah we used some of that animal dye stuff on Happy because he was all white, and we kept changing it now and then, but once we did blue he won’t let us use any other colors. He swats at the bottle otherwise” Natsu said with a shrug. Lucy blinked as she stared blankly at the cat, amazed. “That cat is smarter than it looks I guess then” she muttered, getting nods from Levy and Gajeel. 

* * *

Arriving at the restaurant, Natsu greeted the workers and was met with calls to the kitchen stating something about “the dragon” returning. “Are they referring to you?” Lucy asked as they got seated in a booth. Natsu laughed and gave her a big grin. “Of course! I think it’s because I always get the spiciest stuff here, but it doesn’t really affect me much, yknow? Like I’m a fire-breathing dragon or something” he told them. While Levy was surprised, Lucy simply shook her head. “I don’t know what I expected” she said with a worried expression as she looked over the menu. “Relax, I can handle it!” he said flashing another large grin. Levy looked at Gajeel, who immediately set her heart at ease. “I’m not ordering the hottest thing on the menu” he told her, causing her to sigh in relief. “My stomach can handle it but I don’t much care for that stuff” he said. “How are you two not affected by it!?” Levy and Lucy yelled in unison. Natsu laughed while Gajeel shrugged. “I mean, it’s hot but my stomach doesn’t get bothered by anything” he told them.  _ “Except your motion sickness” _ he thought to himself. 

Once orders had been placed and all the food had arrived, it was a flurry of eating. It seemed that they were all hungrier than they realized, with half of their food disappearing immediately. Lucy eyed Natsu’s plate, practically feeling the heat coming from it, and shook her head. “I know better than to ask for a bite” she said, prompting him to offer her some. “Absolutely not!” she said, making a big X with her arms. Gajeel raised his eyebrow as he watched them, and glanced at his own plate. “Dumpling?” he asked, turning to Levy. Levy furrowed her brow for a moment before turning to Gajeel. “What’d you call me?” she asked, confused. Gajeel sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose, his hand mostly covering his blush. “I was offering you one, not…” he mumbled. “Oh!” Levy said as she turned bright red. Lucy covered her mouth with her hand as she began to giggle at the two.  _ “They’re too cute” _ she thought. Levy apologized for the confusion as Gajeel muttered a “it’s okay” while handing her a dumpling. The two looked away for a moment, unable to look at each other. Lucy could only smile at them, able to see what Levy saw in Gajeel. “Dorks” she muttered.

* * *

“Ungh...I ate too much” Natsu mumbled as they walked out, him clutching his stomach. “I thought you said it didn’t bother you!” Lucy reminded him. “Huh? No no, the heat doesn’t. Eating so much though…” he said with a groan. Lucy sighed as they all climbed into the car. “Hey now don’t forget these” Levy said, passing out fortune cookies. “Oh yeah! Thanks Lev” Lucy said as she opened hers. Natsu’s eyes lit up as he saw it. “I love those things!” he exclaimed as he ripped his open and bit it in half. “I thought you were full!” Lucy yelled in shock. Natsu shrugged as he munched on the cookie, causing the whole car to sigh. “My favorite part is the fortune, I don’t much care for the cookie” Levy said, sliding the slip of paper out. “What’s everybody’s say?” she asked. Lucy looked at hers and beamed. “Luck is to come in your near future in an unexpected form!” she said happily. Natsu squinted at his and made a “hmph” noise. “You are blinded to what is right in front of you” he read out, causing the whole car to exchange glances while he stared at the slip of paper. “I don’t get it, I can see fine” he said as he scratched his head. Gajeel burst into laughter, wiping a small tear from his eye. “What could it possibly say?” Levy asked, surprised by Gajeel’s reaction. “Read it yourself shorty” he said, handing it to her. Levy's face turned red as she groaned. “What is it Levy?” Lucy asked her. She sighed as she read Gajeel’s fortune out-loud: “always remember that good things come in small packages”. Lucy started to laugh before clasping her hand over her mouth. Gajeel smirked at Levy while she flicked the paper back at him and stuck her tongue out. “Alright I’m last. Let’s see...you’ve forgotten something of utmost importance” Levy read, causing her to think. “Did I?” she asked as she started going over the last few days in her mind. “Now she’ll be trying to remember for an hour” Lucy said as she began to drive back to Natsu’s, Levy’s face twisted in concentration the whole ride. 

“I can’t possibly think of anything!” Levy said as they all got out of the car. “You’ll remember eventually Lev” Lucy told her, while Gajeel shrugged. “It’s not like these things are real” he told her. “I know I know, but still…” Levy said with a worried look on her face. “You worry too much” Gajeel told her as they walked into the house to collect their things. After a search of the house by Levy to make sure she had all her items, the three went to leave for home. “You guys sure you don’t wanna just crash here for the night?” Natsu offered. Lucy blushed as she failed to come up with an answer. “That’s um...very nice of you Natsu but I don’t think there’s enough room for us all. Plus I don’t know if Levy and Gajeel have plans for tomorrow” she told him. Levy did admittedly want to spend some alone time with Gajeel, but couldn't think of a reason to leave. “Hate to ruin any plans but I have to feed Lily” Gajeel told them. Lucy nodded understanding, with Levy getting slightly happy they had an excuse to leave. She felt bad that Lucy couldn’t spend more time with Natsu, and a bit guilty that she was feeling glad to be able to spend alone time with Gajeel, but in her defense it had been awhile. “Ah, no worries then! I’m sure I’ll see you all again soon!” Natsu told them, flashing his signature grin. They waved goodbye as they exited the house, with Natsu pulling Lucy into a big hug, causing her to turn as pink as her swimsuit from earlier. “Don’t be strangers now!” Natsu said as they got into the car. Lucy sighed as they pulled away, with Levy giving her a concerned look. “I’m sure you’ll see him again soon Luce. Plus he asked you out!” Levy reminded her. Lucy smiled a bit and nodded. “Yeah, you’re right. Thanks Lev” she said, her spirits lifted. 

* * *

“Sweet freedom…” Gajeel muttered as he climbed out of the car. He stretched and let out a groan, his stomach now finally able to settle since he had exited the car. “Reminds me why I ride a motorcycle” he said to himself as Levy followed him out the car to stretch. “What about your bike?” Levy asked. “Huh? Oh, nothing. Just thinking out loud” he said quickly, not wishing to admit his motion sickness. For some reason it didn’t happen on his bike, for reasons he didn’t dare question. Levy looked at him for a moment, as if deciding whether or not to accept the answer. “Hey Gajeel? Do you mind if I stay over?” she asked him. Gajeel gave her a small smirk and leaned closer to her. “You think I’d ever say no to that?” he asked her, causing her to turn pink and hit him. “Shutup, I’m being nice by asking” she mumbled, causing him to laugh. “Hey Luce? I think I’m gonna sleep over at Gajeel’s tonight” she told her friend as she grabbed her bag. Lucy nodded and glanced at her friend in the rear view mirror. “Alright Lev, you two stay safe okay?” she said. Levy nodded, the two girls always being concerned for the other. “I’ll be fine, promise” she said as she glanced at Gajeel, as if anybody else had a better chance at protecting her. “I’ll text you once I’m home!” Lucy called as she pulled away from Gajeel’s. 

The couple entered Gajeel’s apartment, immediately met with a black cat staring them down. “Hey Lil, sorry about being gone all day” Gajeel said, scratching his head. Levy smiled as she watched Gajeel. For such a big macho man he sure was a softie. “Do you mind if I use your shower Gajeel? I need to wash the salt out of my hair” she told him. “Sure shorty. Want to save some water?” he asked her, moving towards her with a smirk. Levy sighed at his crude joke and looked away, unable to stop the blush from creeping across her face. “You’d take up too much space” she mumbled as he wrapped his arms around her waist. “You’re small anyways” he replied, continuing his teasing. “I really did think you called me dumpling earlier though…” Levy said suddenly, stealing a glance at him. Gajeel’s smirk vanished as he blushed a bit, his eyes searching hers. “Yeah well..I guess you do kinda remind me of one” he told her. “What does that mean!?” Levy said with a laugh. Gajeel smirked at her as he cupped her ass in his hands, giving her a squeeze. “Small, plump, soft, round…” he said as she fought to get away from him. “Gajeel!” she yelled as he laughed. He let her go to gather a towel and rag for her shower, with Levy giving him a small smile. “Thank you, you big pervert” she said as she walked into the bathroom. “Ya love it though” he told her as she rolled her eyes at him and closed the door. She sighed as she turned on the shower, clutching the towel to her chest. She really did.

After her warm shower, Levy rubbed the towel against her hair and glanced in the mirror. Her hair was an absolute mess, per usual before she brushed it. She ran her brush through her hair, which she had packed in her beach bag. She had also packed her shampoo and bodywash, secretly always planning to stay over at Gajeel’s. She checked her phone, seeing that Lucy had made it home safe. Now she had no other worries on her mind and could enjoy her time with Gajeel. Levy hung her towel up on the rack and rummaged through her bag. She found her underwear, slipping on a white pair with a small bow on the front. She wasn’t sure how tired they would be after the beach, so she picked something cute but not over the top. She turned around in the mirror, standing on her tip-toes to get a look at her ass. She blushed at her own actions and sighed, shaking her head. “He’ll like them, Levy” she told herself as she looked again, seeing how they hugged her body. She turned forwards again, running her fingers gently over the fabric that covered her hips, imagining his hands there. Her face became flushed, and she let out a slow breath.  _ “Calm down Lev you’re getting ahead of yourself”  _ she thought. She reached back in her bag, feeling around for the rest of her clothes. She peered into the bag, her heart sinking. “Oh no. No, no, no…” she said, causing Gajeel to knock on the door. “You okay Levy?” he asked her. The door slowly opened a crack, her head barely peeking out. “So...good news is I know what I forgot. Um...bad news is I forgot my clothes…” she said sheepishly. 


End file.
